THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 20, 1995 TAG: 9507190127
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THUMBS UP
SOURCE: BY VICKI LEWIS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
WITH A VOICE like Anita Baker's, Eunice L. Lewis might have taken a different career path. But Lewis, who was born and raised in Norfolk, instead has devoted many of the past years to helping others.
Lewis is employed by Jewish Family Services as a certified nursing assistant. In this position, she helps the elderly recuperate in their homes instead of in the hospital. She cooks for them. She cleans for them. She helps them get dressed. And she sometimes sings to them.
It was through her work with the elderly and handicapped that she found out that singing and helping people aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, the two blend together quite nicely. She often sings to her patients as she helps them around their homes.
Recently, when she was making the bed for an elderly patient while singing, Lewis said his wife commented, `You come and cook and clean and you can sing, too.' ''
Before taking the position with Jewish Family Services, Lewis worked with the mentally handicapped at Southeastern Virginia Training Center for the retarded. She also has worked as a microfilm technician at Sentara Leigh Hospital after serving there as a volunteer.
Lewis shares in the belief that her patients heal faster being around their own homes and families. Employed by Jewish Family Services in Norfolk since November of 1994, Lewis sees patients in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.
Some of her patients are short term, such as those with broken bones. But she will see others, such as Alzheimer's patients, for many months, maybe even for the rest of their lives.
Lewis first used singing as part of her work when she was employed at Southeastern Virginia Training Center. There was one student there who was particularly hard to get along with, Lewis said.
``But when I sang to her she was fine,'' she said. ``So I sang to her every day.''
Lewis has been singing since she was a child. As a 7-year-old, she sang in the church choir, then in the chorus in junior high and high school.
She started singing at Shiloh Baptist Church in Norfolk but now she is a member of New Galilee Church in Chesapeake. Surprisingly, she's not a member of the choir now.
``I don't have enough time,'' she said. ``I'm working every other weekend, and when they're rehearsing, I'm working.''
The daughter of Alma and Ernest Matthews of Norfolk, Lewis grew up in a very large family. She has four brothers and six sisters - 11 children in all.
Lewis, 39, and her husband, Samuel, and three children live in Chesapeake. Their children are: Shanta, 21, who has a 2-year-old son, Derrick; Eric, 20, who is in the Job Corps in Pittsburgh, and Samantha, age 11.
In August, she and Samuel will celebrate their 22nd anniversary.
Although she doesn't aspire to be a professional singer, she said she likes to sing at weddings, funerals and bar mitzvahs.
Last month, she sang at the volunteer dinner at the Jewish Community Center.
``They said, we can't pay you, but we can feed you,'' Lewis said.
Although she has been singing a cappella, she hopes to get a keyboard so that she can accompany herself. Her favorite types of songs are gospel and ballads. And although her favorite singers are Regina Bell, Tonya Braxton and Whitney Houston, she says her range is most like Anita Baker's.
``I know that I love music,'' Lewis said. ``It has always brought me joy and made me feel good about myself.'' MEMO: If you know someone that you feel is deserving of a Thumbs Up! feature,
call Vicki Lewis at 446-2286.
ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JIM WALKER
Eunice L. Lewis, a nursing assistant, helps the elderly recuperate
in their own homes.
by CNB