Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation

06/01/2026

What does it look like to address food insecurity, homelessness, and poverty—all through a restaurant?

Meet one of the 2026 James Beard Impact Award honorees, Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.

In 2011, the organization expanded their mission by founding JBJ Soul Kitchen, a pay-it-forward restaurant where all guests can enjoy a chef-crafted, three-course menu, no matter if they can afford it. Paying guests are encouraged to donate enough to cover their meal and someone else's, while guests in need are invited to volunteer at JBJ Soul Kitchen. Community coordinators are also on-site to connect in-need guests to housing, mental health support, addiction services, employment, and more.

🔗 Head to our blog to read the full story of how the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation is changing lives, one meal at a time:

Fighting hunger, homelessness, and poverty with Impact Award winner Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.

04/30/2026

Since 2009, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation has partnered with HELP USA and Project HOME to create JBJ Soul Homes, permanent, affordable housing with supportive services for individuals and families in need.

🏡 HELP Genesis JBJ Soul Homes in Newark, originally established as New Jersey’s first permanent housing community for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, has since expanded its mission to provide safe, supportive housing for those in need.
💙 JBJ Soul Homes in Philadelphia, offering 55 units for formerly homeless individuals, teens aging out of foster care, and low-income residents, integrated with Project HOME’s comprehensive support services.

As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we are proud that these projects have been operating for many years and continue to provide safe, stable homes for those who need them most.

04/30/2026

We are so proud of our JBJ Soul Kitchen Pop-Up team! Amazing work this past year! 👏💙

After the last Ocean County Library Commission meeting, the JBJ Soul Kitchen Pop-Up in Toms River will officially close on April 30, 2026. This initiative was launched at the invitation of the Ocean County Library to expand JBJ Soul Kitchen’s presence into the downtown area of Toms River, where the unhoused population has continued to grow. It is a pop-up, as it was a quick response to the invitation and the severity of the need. In response to this critical need, we worked with our community partners to connect guests with essential resources. Over the past year, we’ve supported approximately 40 long-term unhoused individuals, helping 13 secure housing and 9 gain employment. The Pop-Up has served move than 15,870 meals, with 79% of those meals going to guests in need.

“I want to thank the community of downtown Toms River for embracing our Soul Kitchen model.” said Dorothea Bongiovi, Founder of JBJ Soul Kitchen. “The outpouring of encouragement and support has been incredibly humbling.”

As the Pop-Up closes, the need in the community remains. JBJ Soul Kitchen’s Toms River location on Hooper Avenue will continue to serve the community, providing nutritious meals, essential resources, and a place of dignity and connection for all who walk through its doors.

To read our official statement please visit: https://jbjsoulkitchen.org/pop-up-location/

04/15/2026

In the first quarter of 2026, over 78% of meals at our restaurants went to guests who couldn’t afford to pay. Your support helps us meet that rising demand.

Buy your raffle tickets now! 💰
https://www.charityvalet.com/jbjsoulkitchen-BD26/index.asp

The more tickets you buy, the better your chances of winning!

Each entry gets you a numbered golf ball, and all the balls will be “dropped” onto the course (virtually!). The ball closest to the target wins half the proceeds raised! The other half directly supports JBJ Soul Kitchen’s mission to fight food insecurity and continue serving meals to our commu...

04/13/2026

With warmer days ahead of us, we want to look back and reflect on this winter. For over 90 days Monmouth County was placed under a Code Blue alert and many in our community turned to JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank for a warm, three-course meal before heading to the JBJ & PBC Hope and Comfort Center. So far in 2026, 79% of our meals served were to guests in need.

Thank you to everyone who supported us this winter, whether by dining with us, paying it forward, or donating through our Amazon Wish List. Your generosity helped ensure our community had access to the meals and essential materials they needed during the coldest months.

You can help us continue this work through our Pay It Forward program - covering the cost of a meal for someone in need: https://bit.ly/RBPayItForward

04/01/2026

We’re honored to share that the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation has been selected as a 2026 James Beard Foundation Impact Award Honoree for our program, JBJ Soul Kitchen. For nearly four decades, the James Beard Awards have represented one of the highest distinctions in the culinary world. Being recognized in this way is an incredible honor, and a reflection of our mission to serve our community with dignity, compassion, and purpose. Our unique Pay it Forward model serves those in need, addressing food insecurity, and building a community where All Are Welcome at the table.

03/23/2026

As Code Blue season comes to an end this month, we reflect on why this work still matters after opening in 2018. ❄️🤍 As the first warming center in Monmouth County, this model has helped inspire similar efforts in communities across the country, and we remain grateful to the partners, volunteers, and supporters who make this work possible each season.

Since opening the JBJ & PBC Hope & Comfort Warming Center in partnership with Pilgrim Baptist Church, we’ve been committed to providing a safe and warm space for individuals during below-freezing temperatures. When a Code Blue is in effect, JBJ Soul Kitchen opens earlier for guests staying at the Center so they can enjoy a three-course meal before heading to the Hope & Comfort Warming Center. This past winter, the Center was open for over 90 nights, helping keep our community safe and warm.

03/04/2026

Due to rising tariffs and increased production costs, we will no longer be able to produce our JBJ Soul Kitchen Coffee once current inventory runs out.

If you love our coffee, now is the time to stock up while supplies last! ☕💛

Limited-Time Sale!
Buy 1 – Get 10% OFF
Buy 2 – Get 20% OFF
Buy 3 – Get 30% OFF

Available for purchase online and at our Red Bank, Toms River, and Pop-Up locations!

Order Today! https://bit.ly/JBJSKCoffee

02/28/2026

If you’re in Nashville, make sure to stop by JBJ's Nashville this Monday! 20% of the proceeds will support JBJ Soul Kitchen’s mission to continue fighting food insecurity! 🎉💛

02/26/2026

Kicking off our 20th anniversary celebrations by honoring where it all began! In 2006, Jon Bon Jovi announced the official formation of the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation, now the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, and celebrated its very first collaborative project: Project HOME’s Phase V Homeownership Project. This groundbreaking initiative transformed 15 historic row houses in North Central Philadelphia into energy-efficient, affordable homes, laying the foundation for years of community-focused impact and creating equity for the homeowners.

20 years later, 14 of the 15 original homeowners are still living in their homes. The first home was sold just two years ago for a substantial profit, highlighting the long-term stability and generational impact this project has created.