10/16/2021
Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea Hurley co-founded the JBJ Soul Kitchen to fight poverty and to bring community together. Their three kitchens have become beating hearts in New Jersey communities, connecting marginalized people with services to support their housing or health needs. There are no prices on the menu, instead using a pay-it-forward model, customers who can afford to pay more cover the cost of others who are struggling to feed themselves. The kitchen is just one of many projects from Jon Bon Jovi’s Soul Foundation which has provided affordable housing to thousands of people across the United States.
Jon said, "One night I was looking out a hotel window in Philadelphia and I saw a guy sleeping on a grate. And I said, That’s not what our forefathers were thinking when they created this America that they dreamt of."
"And I thought, I know the issue – homelessness. Doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, young, old, Republican, Democrat. I don’t need a scientist to find the cure, I can make a difference. It hit me like a lightning bolt.”
Since that day the kitchen has grown into a bigger part of his life with the help, guidance and hard work of his wife Dorothea and experts in the field.
“Home brings the ability to exhale,” he said. “Having a roof over your head is the greatest relief. I can’t imagine not having sanctuary to be warm in the cold and comforted in the rain."
“You’ve got to put a roof over someone’s head and then you’ve got to give them the ability to provide so they can keep it over their head. You can’t just give the man a home and go, good luck. Because next month there’s a lighting bill coming."
“Now that I think about it, we don’t give anyone anything; they earn it. We don’t give, this isn’t a contest. These people have gone to great lengths to get back on their feet, to achieve this level of success where they could get that roof over their head. None of this was given to any of them, they worked for it.”
We say the most important ingredient is love. Dignity and respect grow out of that. We treat everyone who comes through our doors the same.
When you give a person the opportunity, they are happy to help and feel part of something bigger than themselves. When we are able to sit across the table from someone we break down the barriers between us. If we are treating all with respect, we are correct in expecting that in return.
We were inspired by community restaurants that allow people to pay what they can. We are different in our approach as we ask our in-need diners to help around the restaurant and not pay anything. While they are volunteering we are getting to know them and creating relationships to help them find resources in our community.
We serve a mix of people, many who are working but are underemployed, some unemployed, seniors on fixed incomes, some struggle with mental health issues. We also serve those who want to contribute to their community. They are going out to eat anyway, they know that their donation is being used by someone in the restaurant that night.
That is a much bigger issue than I could answer here, but basically, the real cost of living is many times higher than what would be considered “living in poverty”. In our county in New Jersey, the gap between poverty and being able to survive, not thrive, just pay all your expenses, is $50,000. That’s why there is a huge push for a $15 minimum wage.
Working at a fast-food restaurant or grocery store used to be a great after-school job for a young person to make money. But now those jobs are done by people with families, they don’t make enough to make ends meet.
We are that place that people come to feel part of something, to connect with each other and us. Imagine if you spent all day walking around not speaking to anyone and having most people walk across the street to avoid you. It is nice to walk into a beautiful restaurant and have people genuinely care about you, and what is more heart-warming than a delicious meal?
Interview done by The Big Issue
