In February, the Ocean County Library in Toms River, New Jersey became a beacon of hope for people experiencing homelessness. It all started when a Dunkin Donuts went under, and Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Kitchen popped up in its place.
The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation — which was founded by John and Dorothea Bongiovi in 2006 — currently has five community kitchens throughout New Jersey.
Each location encourages customers to pay a suggested donation of $12 for a meal, or “pay it forward” for others in need. People who cannot afford to pay can also volunteer to work at the cafe.
It’s a restaurant model that drew criticism from Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick in early April, when he accused JBJ Soul Kitchen of turning the Ocean County Library into “a day shelter and soup kitchen.”
“[The New Jersey commissioners] have completely ignored all of our complaints and concerns,” Rodrick said. “Mothers shouldn’t have to walk through large gangs of intoxicated and mentally ill men with their children to borrow a book.”
Locals said that Rodrick’s claims couldn’t be further from the truth.
In a review of the restaurant, one Toms River resident wrote: “It’s a wonderful place and somewhere we should all support and celebrate.”
“Just went last week, it was nothing like what the Mayor says,” another local commented.
“Shouldn’t be any controversy over giving a hand or a meal to a family or person who’s struggling,” replied another.
“JBJ has been a big help,” Matt, 56, told the Asbury Park Press. He and his partner, Molly, lost their home during COVID-19, and have regularly relied on the JBJ Soul Kitchen meals as they live between shelters and hotels.
Other advocates included famed Toms River photographer Gregory Andrus.
“The atmosphere at Soul Kitchen is on the more quiet side, peaceful, with tired bodies and tired souls resting with coffee or a meal,” Andrus wrote earlier this week on Facebook, defending the cafe to his 70,000 followers.
Andrus added that “Soul Kitchen is more needed than ever” after “Code Blue” winter shelters closed in March.
“This is the one place that our homeless friends can feel safe, cared for, and treated like humans,” Andrus wrote.
This past winter, in the throes of “Code Blue” season, the mayor evicted Just Believe Inc. from Toms River’s Riverwood Park. Prior to eviction, the housing nonprofit had run a family warming center at the park for seven years.
“We all need to row in the same direction because homelessness was not created by anybody,” Paul Hulse, chief executive officer of Just Believe, told Asbury Park Press. “It’s been there since the beginning of creation.”
The mayor’s ire is particularly confounding to library volunteers who say that the cafe was always intended as a pop-up.
Even as Rodrick campaigns for the kitchen to close, the organization told the Asbury Park Press that the Ocean County library location is operating under a temporary lease that expires in May.
In the wake of the mayor’s most recent comments, Just Believe voiced their support for JBJ Soul Kitchen and called on the community to support the foundation.
“In light of controversy surrounding the work of the Soul Kitchen and any nonprofit organization that aids the homeless in our community, we are requesting that the community pay it forward by visiting the Ocean County Library in Toms River for lunch, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday,” Just Believe wrote on their Facebook page on April 14.
“[It’s] a great opportunity to raise awareness and support local nonprofit organizations on the front lines.”
The next day, the community showed up in droves.
“Thank you for your continued support of local nonprofits in Ocean County that strive to make a difference,” Just Believe wrote in an updated post. “Your support is invaluable to us. We appreciate you all.”
Even with their Ocean County library location closing in the near future, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation continues to be a crucial resource for food-insecure and unhoused people in the community at their permanent locations.
“When we first opened, people did not understand our unique ‘Pay It Forward’ model,” Dorothea Bongiovi, wife of John Bongiovi, said on March 5 when the foundation served their 200,000th meal.
"We are not a soup kitchen. We are not a pay-what-you-want restaurant. We are a unique ‘Pay It Forward’ model where those who are unable to pay volunteer their time. Those who can pay, pay for their meal and donate to pay it forward. Everyone has the same amazing meal.”
“This model has now been proven time and time again for well over a decade,” John Bongiovi added.
Header image via JBJ Soul Kitchen
