Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick isn’t happy with Jon Bon Jovi’s soup kitchen. He says it’s making the homelessness issue worse in his town.
Rodrick told Fox News over the phone that nonprofits like Bon Jovi’s are adding to the problem. “We don’t want to be ground zero for homelessness,” he said. “Bussing people in from all over to Toms River is not a safe situation.”
He hasn’t spoken directly to Bon Jovi or the JBJ Soul Foundation. But he’s frustrated about the new soup kitchen at the Toms River library.
“He’s already operating, he operated something in the Silverton section of town,” Rodrick said. “But this pop-up thing at the library was primarily geared toward making the library… ground zero for homelessness.”
The pop-up kitchen opened on February 11. It’s one of four in the state and offers pay-it-forward options.
People who can’t pay the $12 suggested donation can volunteer instead. They help out and receive sandwiches, wraps, bowls, and salads.
Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea defended their work in a statement to the New York Post. “The JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen are committed to ending homelessness through real solutions.”
“Through our JBJ Soul Kitchen, we connect people to resources and services,” they added. “We try to remove the barriers that are keeping them from thriving, not just surviving.”