Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick has criticized county commissioners for approving musician Jon Bon Jovi's temporary pop-up, the JBJ Soul Kitchen, at the Ocean County Library.
He contended that the initiative has morphed into a "day shelter and soup kitchen," drawing homeless individuals near the library and close to the township's parking facilities.
"These people are being dropped by in our community by agencies pretending to be homeless advocates who get paid by the head to import homeless people into our town from all over the state and the East Coast," Rodrick claimed.
Despite his persistent complaints, Rodrick asserts that no action has been taken after speaking with county officials about the issue. As an alternative, he recommended that parents take their kids to the Brick branch of the county library.
Bon Jovi, alongside his wife Dorothea, who manages the philanthropic eatery chain, has articulated their dedication to helping underprivileged communities.
"The JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen are committed to ending homelessness through real solutions. We are not here to just move people around or force them into the shadows. Our Foundation has built nearly a thousand units of affordable and supportive housing," they said in a statement last Friday.
The pop-up café, which opened on Feb. 11, shares the compassionate vision of its sibling JBJ Soul Kitchen eateries in New Jersey. It invites patrons to perform an act of kindness by covering the recommended $12 meal cost for those less fortunate.
For those strapped for cash, lending a hand at the establishment between 10 a. and 2 p.m., Tuesday to Friday, earns them a satisfying exchange of sandwiches, wraps, bowls, and salads.
"Through our JBJ Soul Kitchen, we connect people to resources and services. Whether they need employment, mental health support, or housing, we try to remove the barriers that are keeping them from thriving, not just surviving," said the Bon Jovis in their official communiqué.
Responding to Rodrick's biting comments about funding sources, the famous duo clapped back: "We are unsure where the mayor thinks millions of dollars are trading hands, but we are completely unaware of any such programs and receive no such funding."
Countering Roderick's accusation that the commissioners have ignored local complaints, County Commissioner Jennifer Bacchione, who serves as liaison to Ocean County's Library Commission, affirmed that she has yet to encounter any grievances concerning disturbances around the library premises.
She noted that people without homes are drawn to downtown Toms River because of the concentration of social service agencies and nonprofits that assist the homeless population.
"We do have the bus depot. That is how a lot of people are coming in," Bacchione highlighted. She also clarified that the Soul Kitchen differs from a traditional "soup kitchen," stressing that they "do not give away food for free."
