Action News Exclusive with Jon Bon Jovi
CHERRY HILL, N.J. - December 2, 3011
For the Lewis family of Camden, they have been waiting for one special moment for a long time; a chance to speak with one of the most philanthropic celebrities in the world, Jon Bon Jovi.
"I couldn't wait to meet him, you know sleepless nights just thinking like what I could say to him," said Terriell Lewis.
The Lewis' were victims of the Camden fires over the summer. One day after their home was destroyed, the non-profit group, Heart of Camden, along with the help of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, stepped in and gave them a home.
The Lewis children weren't shy in saying thank you.
"It doesn't matter who you are, they know, if you're a good person they know," said Lewis.
"It's not about me," Jon Bon Jovi said. "It's about us, and we can get the job done. I don't have government officials here. I'm not looking for a hand out. I'm not looking for a hand up. I'm looking for people who want to be involved with their neighbors and their brothers and their sisters."
Which is why this is a scene we rarely see. The rock legend doesn't want anyone singing his praises for his work in the community.
He reluctantly accepted the invite to the Heart of Camden Gala at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill Friday night.
The Soul Foundation received the Small Things, Great Love Award for providing decent housing in Camden for a number of families.
"We're just trying to do our part and live up to what our promise was, and even though I don't co-own the team any longer, the foundation is still as much a part of me as it ever was," said Jon Bon Jovi.
Father Michael Doyle, who founded the Heart of Camden in 1984, says recently, government money dried up. Bon Jovi came in and started financing homes.
"I heard him speak in Camden, and I was deeply moved by the depth of him and the quality and sincerity of him, and I said there's a very good man," said Father Doyle.
There is still a lot of work for the Heart of Camden. They expect to raise $300,000 at Friday night's gala for a variety of housing projects in Camden.
