Pay It Forward: Jessie Johnson of Selma
For years, Jessie Johnson has been helping out schools in his community with whatever needs to be done from pressure washing to painting.
“I was the former principal at Hope Academy and he was out there. You know, if you need some things done, all you gotta do is ask Mr. Johnson. I say it again, anything you ask, he’s going to do it perfectly,” said Michael Bowers.
One day Johnson had an idea to start his own business.
“What really inspired me the most when he decided to go on his own business, the painting business, and he said ‘Mr. Smith, I’m going to go around and look at all the churches within the city of Selma and outside the city so much sister cities,’ and he says ‘I’m going to paint all the churches free,'” said Johnson’s nominator Anthony Smith.
Paying it forward again, Johnson gave the money he received from the Vance Law Firm right back to the church at Gospel Tabernacle Church of God in Christ.
“The reason I gave it back to the church is because it was a blessing to me,” said Johnson.
