A mayor of New Jersey has nasty things to say about Jon Bon Jovi’s charity project.
The 63-year-old frontman of the rock group and his wife, Dorothea, founded the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation in 2006 with the intention of eradicating homelessness and hunger.
The pair established the nonprofit JBJ Soul Kitchen in New Jersey with a pay-it-forward strategy to serve people from all socioeconomic backgrounds as part of their charitable endeavors.
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“It is not a pay-what-you-want model or a soup kitchen,” according to its official website, since patrons pay for their meals (a suggested $12) and have the option to pay for someone else’s meal, helping those who are unable to pay and instead donate their time.
The initial pop-up was established in Red Bank in 2011 and later spread to Jersey City (a permanent presence at New Jersey City University), Toms River, and Newark (a permanent location at Rutgers University).
The eatery, which is scheduled to close in May, set up a temporary pop-up shop inside Tom River’s Ocean County Library in February, according to CBS News. Daniel Rodrick, the mayor of Toms River, has a different take on the setup, despite the fact that the majority of locals commend the celebrity for his dedication to and concern for the Jersey neighborhoods.
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According to reports, the mayor feels that the restaurant is increasing the number of homeless people in the community by attracting homeless people from all over New Jersey and even nearby states.
“If they’re going to turn this into a homeless shelter, hell, cut everybody a check and give them a Barnes and Noble gift card,” Rodrick said, as reported by NJ Advance Media.
The mayor went on, “I really want it gone.” “The library isn’t a good place, in our opinion. Bon Jovi was never the problem. These NGOs were contacted by [the] Ocean County Board of Commissioners.
The mayor also referred to the pop-up as “a real safety concern,” although Ocean County Commissioner Robert Arace denied that the JBJ Soul Kitchen was the cause of any concerning incidents.
“He’s claiming that there have been more incidents?” Arace asked. According to our data, they haven’t gone up. It’s not a kitchen for soup.
According to its official website, JBJ Soul Kitchen has served more than 208,000 meals to far, with 41% of those meals being funded by contributions and 59% coming from customer volunteers.
Notwithstanding the mayor’s opinions, well-known people and A-list celebrities adore the JBJ Soul Kitchen and the JBJ Soul Foundation.
Former President Bill Clinton commended the restaurant and the singer’s work to fight food hunger back in 2016, when the nonprofit celebrated its tenth year.
“I came here to express my gratitude to Jon and Dorothea for providing food for the hungry and shelter for the destitute. The 42nd president said, “And remind us all that beneath our differences, we’re not so different after all.” “If you have not eaten there, you ought to treat yourself.”
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