The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation

Founded in 2006, Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation (formerly the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that focuses their efforts on the issues of hunger and homelessness in the United States. They work with non-profit organizations and community leaders to help establish programs and partnerships that provide the basic needs of food and shelter. In addition, they also look to add green elements into every project that they support including using green building materials and energy efficient appliances.[1]

While providing affordable housing to those in need, projects often selected by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation include additional programs to assist the residents in getting back on the right path.

To date, the Soul Foundation has assisted in providing funding for over 500 units of affordable housing and shelter for thousands of people who were formerly homeless or of low-income in locations such as Philadelphia, PA; Brooklyn, NY; Rockdale County, GA; Houma, LA; Detroit, MI; Newark, NJ; Camden, NJ; Monmouth County, NJ; and Los Angeles, CA.

Contributions & Projects

The JBJ Soul Foundation officially launched on October 5, 2006 with the announcement made by Jon Bon Jovi at a press conference in North Philadelphia. At the same press conference, it was announced that the Soul Foundation would partner with Sister Mary Scullion and Project H.O.M.E. to rebuild and refurbish 15 homes right on that same block they were standing on.[2]

Below is a timeline of the projects funded and supported by the JBJ Soul Foundation:

2007

Throughout 2007 & 2008, The JBJ Soul Foundation worked with several Habitat for Humanity organizations across the country. Their partnerships included working with Habitat for Humanity-NYC, Habitat for Humanity's Jimmy Carter Work Project in LA, Habitat for Humanity International's Desmond TuTu Build in South Africa, Habitat for Humanity Colorado, and Habitat for Humanity-Detroit to build a total of 21 units of affordable housing.

March 2008

JBJ Soul Foundation partnered with HELP USA to build the HELP Genesis JBJ Soul Homes in Newark, NJ which provided 51 units of affordable housing to low-income and special needs persons.[3]

April 2008

JBJ Soul Foundation teamed up with Project H.O.M.E. on several other projects in Philadelphia since the one in North Philadelphia was completed. The second project they partnered on was building & updating Saint Elizabeth's Recover Residence which is a recovery residence for men, providing 24 fully furnished, subsidized, single-room occupancy units, 12 of which are designated for veterans. Accessible units are available. Residents are offered service coordination, personal recovery services, health care, education, social enterprise and employment opportunities. Residents are encouraged to participate in recovery-oriented activities that lead to personal growth, well-being and self-sufficiency.[4]

February 2009

Expanding their work down south, the Foundation joined forces with HomeAid Atlanta to build Phoenix Pass, a 16 unit apartment complex with a lighthouse that serves as a community room and homework area for the youth. This complex focuses primarily on assisting single mothers and their children and is the first of its kind in Rockdale County, GA. In May 2015, the JBJ Soul Foundation announced it would once again partner with HomeAid Atlanta to help fund the expansion of Phoenix Pass. This expansion doubled the size of the existing program to help meet the need in the community.[5]

July 2009

Working once again with Project HOME, but this time in Center City Philadelphia, the JBJ Soul Foundation helped support the building of Connelly House.Connelly House is a clean-and-sober, permanent supportive housing residence for adults, providing 55 fully furnished, subsidized efficiency apartments with accessible units also available. Residents are offered service coordination, personal recovery services, healthcare, education, social enterprise and employment opportunities. Residents are encouraged to participate in recovery-oriented activities that lead to personal growth, well-being and self-sufficiency. In addition, there are 24 single-room occupancy units for men in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction with support services provided by Bethesda Project. Connelly House was accredited by the American Institute of Architects award for Community Design and was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council LEED certification system for being an environmentally friendly, sustainable building. The Grand Opening celebration for Connelly House was held on May 16, 2011.[6]

October 2009

The Foundation focused on crossing the bridge from Philadelphia into Camden, NJ [7] where it has worked on a "clean & green" project with Greater Camden Partnerships on cleaning up 80 vacant lots throughout the city as well as building a playground for the children at a local elementary school. They have also partnered with several non-profit organizations such as the Saint Josephs Carpenter Society, Heart of Camden, and Hopeworks to help build more affordable housing units.

May 2010

JBJ Soul Foundation partnered with the Tiger Woods Foundation and was announced as one of the grantees from the proceeds of the 2010 AT&T National which was held at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, PA. The tournament identified two specific programs within the Soul Foundation's grant portfolio to support: Hopeworks C.R.I.B. program in Camden, NJ and Project H.O.M.E's Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs in Philadelphia, PA.[8]

June 2010

JBJ Soul Foundation announced their newest partnership with Covenant House Pennsylvania and a commitment to assisting with the build of their newest facility, Rights of Passage. This structure will provide temporary housing for 20 homeless youth under the age of 21.[9] The Rights of Passage facility held its ribbon cutting ceremony on April 19, 2011 and the youth started moving into the facility shortly after.[10]

October 2011

JBJ Soul Foundation officially opens their first program, JBJ Soul Kitchen (see below).

June 2012

JBJ Soul Foundation partnered with Rebuilding Together and Lowe's to rehabilitate 30 homes in the Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia.[11] The project also included a community clean-up and the installation of a new playground at the Overbook Environmental Education Center in partnership with Carter Oosterhouse’s charity Carter’s Kids.

June 2012

JBJ Soul Foundation partnered with Northern Children's Services to help fund the complete renovation of Merrick Hall[12] the oldest building on its six-acre campus. The three-story Merrick Hall will encompass 15,000 square feet of residential space that will double the number of mothers and babies served, including service to pregnant teens. The building will include both transitional and permanent housing in a supportive living environment for the families. Merrick Hall celebrated its Grand Opening in July 2014.[13]

November 2012

Joining forces once again with Project HOME in Philadelphia, the JBJ Soul Foundation provided a lead gift to help fund JBJ Soul Homes.[14] JBJ Soul Homes is a 55-unit, permanent supportive housing residence for adults. There are subsidized and affordable efficiency apartments, including units dedicated for young adults. All subsidized units are fully furnished. Residents are offered on-site service coordination and Personal Recovery Services. Residents are encouraged to participate in recovery-oriented activities that lead to personal growth, well-being and self-sufficiency. Project HOME also offers health care, education and employment opportunities and social enterprise. Covenant House provides services for the young adults. The Grand Opening ceremony for JBJ Soul Homes was held on April 22, 2014. [15]

April 2014

JBJ Soul Foundation celebrated the grand opening of Joseph's House of Camden, NJ,[16] a homeless shelter partially funded by the Foundation that is designed to help guests achieve self-sufficiency. Joseph’s House opened in late January 2014 during a Code Blue alert and has continued to serve 75 homeless men and women each night. The Atlantic Avenue facility offers a unique concept as it partners with local agencies to provide social support services and enable its guests to address underlying issues and become self-sufficient.

March 2015

JBJ Soul Foundation joined 180 Turning Lives Around for the ceremonial groundbreaking of their newest safe house, the largest shelter for victims of domestic violence in the State of New Jersey.[17] The Soul Foundation provided funding for this project that will be able to house 45 women and children at a time, up from 25 at its current location. The new shelter in Monmouth County celebrated its opening in early 2016.

Programs

JBJ Soul Kitchen

JBJ Soul Kitchen opened in Red Bank, NJ on October 19, 2011.[18] The JBJ Soul Kitchen seeks to provide healthy, organic and locally grown food in a restaurant setting. They empower individuals by providing volunteer opportunities in exchange for a dining certificate for themselves and their family and by providing job training in the food industry. They allow their paying customers to effect change in their community by paying it forward to cover the cost of volunteering customers. They promise to treat all their customers with dignity and respect, while uniting communities and forming healthy and lasting relationships through food. As of the start of 2016, JBJ Soul Kitchen has served over 45,000 meals and reached their goal of having 51% of their diners paying and 49% of their diners in-need. In 2015, JBJ Soul Kitchen was voted Best Celebrity Owned Restaurant in 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Award - Sponsored by USA TODAY.[19]

JBJ Soul Kitchen runs the Employment and Empowerment Team (EET) Program which connects a team of professionals with qualified volunteers to aid with resume writing, interview skills, job coaching, financial counseling and legal advice.

In January 2015, JBJ Soul Kitchen sponsored Spoon Full of Hope,[20] a non-profit community restaurant and outreach program of Gateway Church of Christ. The "JBJ Soul Kitchen Sponsors Spoon Full of Hope" pop-up location began serving meals in Union Beach at Union Hose Fire Co. #1. The JBJ Soul Foundation offered to help re-open Spoon Full of Hope after the program lost its funding in the summer of 2014. The community restaurant follows the JBJ Soul Kitchen’s model as there are no prices on the menu and you could be seated with someone you may not know. It is not a "pay-what-you-can" model, instead patrons can either pay a minimum donation or volunteer an hour of time to earn a dining certificate for a meal that will feed the volunteer and up to four family members. Over a 47-week program Spoon Full of Hope served 4,391 meals of which 2,692 were in-need meals.

History:

In November 2009, JBJSF partnered with St. Anthony of Padua Church in Red Bank, NJ to pilot a "community restaurant" operating out of the church on Friday Nights. The project affords low-income families an opportunity to enjoy a meal out with family without the high costs of restaurant service. Diners can either make a donation or volunteer in the kitchen to pay for the meal.[21] The JBJ Soul Kitchen started out small but quickly grew and began serving an average of 60 meals per night. Proving to be a successful model, JBJSF then found a home for their pilot program in the fall of 2010 out of Lunch Break, also located in Red Bank, NJ. Operating once a week, they began their "Sunday Suppers" program which ran until the spring of 2011.

After a successful pilot program, the Red Bank borough planning board approved the conversion of a former auto-body shop into a community restaurant in April 2011. The JBJSF had the building renovated in time for the fall opening in 2011.[22]


The B.E.A.T. Center

The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties and The Peoples Pantry (INSPIRE NJ) announced on April 14, 2015 the formation of The B.E.A.T. Center (Bringing Everyone All Together), an innovative community hub where families and individuals in need can access food, job training and other resources that aim to end the cyclical cause of hunger in Ocean County, N.J.[23] With initial philanthropic support from The David Tepper Charitable Foundation, The B.E.A.T. Center will provide assistance and support services aimed to end hunger in Ocean County and will house a satellite location for The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, permanent home of The Peoples Pantry and second location of JBJ Soul Kitchen.

Located in the Silverton section of Toms River, N.J. and accessible by public transportation, The B.E.A.T. Center will serve as a "one-stop shop" catering to the urgent needs of the community by connecting residents to resources such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program also known as food stamps), affordable healthcare and tax preparation services, as well as access to a community food pantry, meals for at-risk children and seniors, and culinary training program.

The B.E.A.T. Center is currently under construction and set to open in the Spring of 2016.

References

  1. ↑ http://jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/about| Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation Official Website, About Section
  2. ↑ http://www.habitat.org/newsroom/2006archive/10_05_2006_Bon_Jovi_Announcement.aspx| Jon Bon Jovi Announces the Rebuilding of Homes in North Philadelphia
  3. ↑ http://videos.nj.com/star-ledger/2009/12/jon_bon_jovi_helps_open_help_g.html| Press Coverage from Ribbon Cutting of HELP Genesis JBJ Soul Homes in Newark, NJ
  4. ↑ https://projecthome.org/locations/st-elizabeths-recovery-residence
  5. ↑ http://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/news/news/jbj-soul-foundation-helps-phoenix-pass-expand
  6. ↑ http://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/news/news/project-home-and-bethesda-project-unveil-connelly-house-a-new-apartment-building-to-house-formerly-homeless-individuals
  7. ↑ http://www.catholicstarherald.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3688:bon-jovis-foundation-invests-in-camden&catid=102:latest-news| Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation Announces Continuing Commitment to Camden, NJ
  8. ↑ http://web.tigerwoodsfoundation.org/news/article/201005119969812/att_national/| Partnership of Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation and Tiger Woods Foundation
  9. ↑ http://www.covenanthouse.org/content/covenant-house-pennsylvania-breaks-ground-new-rights-passage-building| Press Coverage of Ground Breaking Ceremony for Rights of Passage |accessdate=2011-03-15
  10. ↑ http://www.covenanthousepa.org/news/news.html| Covenant House Pennsylvania
  11. ↑ http://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/news/news/jon-bon-jovi-soul-foundation-joins-rebuilding-together-and-lowes-to-build-a-healthy-neighborhood-for-philadelphia
  12. ↑ http://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/news/news/jbjsf-celebrates-groundbreaking-of-a-new-building-in-philadelphia
  13. ↑ http://northernchildren.org/northern-childrens-services-offer-more-with-merrick-hall-reopening/
  14. ↑ http://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/news/news/project-home-announces-groundbreaking-of-jbj-soul-homes-citys-newest-building-for-people-in-need_1
  15. ↑ https://projecthome.org/posts/2014/04/grand-opening-jbj-soul-homes
  16. ↑ http://articles.philly.com/2014-04-03/news/48805680_1_joseph-house-shelter-jon-bon-jovi
  17. ↑ http://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/news/news/367
  18. ↑ http://www.jbjsoulkitchen.org/en/2011/10/19/news-en/the-jon-bon-jovi-soul-foundation-celebrates-opening-of-the-jbj-soul-kitchen-in-red-bank-nj-on-october-19/199
  19. ↑ http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-celebrity-owned-restaurant/
  20. ↑ http://www.jbjsoulkitchen.org/en/2015/02/24/news-en/jbj-soul-kitchen-sponsors-spoon-full-of-hope-in-monmouth-county/484
  21. ↑ "Bon Jovi Brings 'Soul' Food to Church‘". RedBankGreen. June 21, 2009. Retrieved 2011-03-15.
  22. ↑ "Bon Jovi foundation gets OK to build community restaurant in Red Bank". Asbury Park Press. April 25, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-27.
  23. ↑ http://www.jonbonjovisoulfoundation.org/news/our_projects/the-b-e-a-t-center

External links

Sources

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