Lewis started Newtown Helps Rwanda,[3] a charity that raised money for survivors of the 1994 Rwandan genocide as well as former child soldiers in Uganda.

He previously was a candidate in the 2020 elections for Connecticut state senator for the 28th district,[4] dropping out before the August primaries[5] to work on a national campaign.

His younger brother Jesse Lewis[6] was a victim of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

[12] Several days after the shooting, former president Barack Obama met with Lewis, his mother, and the victims' families at Newtown High School.

[11] Survivors of the genocide reached out to Lewis via Skype to talk about their traumatic experiences losing family members due to violence and offer their condolences to him.

[17] Lewis's organization also helped Ugandan former child soldiers build fishponds and poultry farms for self-sufficiency.

[27] He criticized the non-profit organization Sandy Hook Promise for using graphic images in their PSAs about school shootings.

[28] In 2013, in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, JT's mother Scarlett started the non-profit Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement.