Celebrity Musician Opens 'Soul Kitchen' To Fight Community Hunger
March 13, 2018
This is not your typical celebrity restaurant. Jon Bon Jovi and wife, Dorothea, hope that their pay-it-forward restaurant will help curb community hunger.
The couple believed that they could open a restaurant that rewarded community service. In their model, diners may volunteer and receive a voucher for their meals. Those who are able to pay have the opportunity to purchase a "Pay It Forward" certificate. By paying an additional $20 or more, they are helping to defray the costs for those who are battling hunger. But Jon and Dorothea take this a step further.
In order to encourage the community to get to know one another, 'Soul Kitchen' is set up as communal tables. Diners of all backgrounds find themselves making unexpected friends over a meal. It removes the barrier of a soup kitchen and opens the community to learn about each other and offer support. All while enjoying a meal in your favorite neighborhood restaurant minus prices on the menu!
“People are seated communally because we want people here to read each other. You never know who you’re sitting next to. You don’t know if its someone in need or if its someone who’s come to pay. That’s really not what this is about. What you’re going to find is so much in common with your neighbor,” Bon Jovi tells PEOPLE.
RELATED: He Needed 10 Volunteers To Help Senior Citizens, 100 Showed Up
credit: JBJ Soul FoundationAdditionally, all of the food for the restaurant is sourced locally. Bon Jovi desired to have this communal dining experience also benefit the local farmers. On the menu? Comfort food such as cornbread, spinach rice, vegetable soup, and pan roasted tilefish. The menu changes based on the produce availability. But this isn't a 'soup kitchen' menu, rather each dish carries the strength of first-class chefs and delivers added enjoyment to each meal.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Christian Couple Build Bunk Beds For Needy Kids And Gets A Big Surprise
The decor of the restaurant is clean but artistic. Every inch of this project is a brain child of Bon Jovi and his wife. Their hope is that diners will get a feel of an upscale restaurant whether they are paying with their time or money.
credit:: JBJ Soul Kitchen“You’d never know what the purpose is here and that is the idea. That anyone would come here to dine,” Bon Jovi says. “You just get a great meal and then you’re also doing good.”
The restaurant is just one of many parts in the Bon Jovi Soul Foundation which focuses on helping those in economic despair.
“Super Storm Sandy brought a lot of focus here in Ocean County to people who are already in need. These are the hard working blue collar... people who go to work every day but they need to make ends meet,” Bon Jovi said. “The food insecurity was already here, but this just exacerbated it.”
RELATED: An Act of Kindness To Pay Off School Lunch Debts Left Volunteer Speechless
Bon Jovi hopes that his model will be used across the nation. It gives people pride to have an ability to work for their meal and enjoy it without judgement. It also gives economically struggling persons the pleasure of a dine-in experience that they might not normally be able to have. Here what others have to say about this successful community effort!
WATCH: Jon Bon Jovi's Soul Kitchen Helps Curb Hunger
Christian Celebrity Stories
This article is just one of many articles featured on GodUpdates about Christian celebrities and their faith. Here is a small sampling of other inspiring testimonies and stories we thought you may like!
- 4 Celebrity Testimonies You Can’t Miss
- 7 Touching Testimonies by Christian Celebrities
- 18 Real Inspirational Stories of Faith and Hope
- Did You Know These 10 Hollywood Celebrities Are Christians?
- Comedian Stephen Colbert Told Hollywood He Wouldn’t Defile Jesus
- 7 Reasons To Love Bear Grylls. This TV Adventurer’s Faith Will Move You!
- Hollywood Actor Chris Pratt Shares About Being ‘Pro Jesus” In A Recent Interview
- Movie Blockbuster Star Shares Testimony Of Choosing God Over Career
- How Actress Jennifer Garner Was Inspired To Start Taking Her Kids To Church Every Sunday
- TV News Anchor Ainsley Earhardt Shares Testimony Of Putting God First
- Dolly Parton Reveals How Faith Saved Her from Suicidal Depression
- Country Superstar Luke Bryan Opens up About the Death of His Brother
- Christian News Anchor Refuses To Work On Sundays
- This Heart Throb Was A Reality Star. But The Star In His Life Is JESUS
- 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Hollywood’s Lovable Goofball, Jim Nabors
- 5 Lessons Jimmy Fallon Can Teach About Worship
- Rocker Ozzy Osbourne Visits Ark Encounter And Has Shocking Reaction
- Josh Groban Walked Out Of A TV Interview To Stay True To His Faith
- Rock Legend Gene Simmons Is Standing Up For Christians
- Former Disney Child Star Loses Mom, Hits Rock Bottom, Then Finds Jesus
- Simon Asks Fellow Celebrity To Help Father Of 6 On AGT
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Know God as Jehovah Jireh - Your Daily Prayer - July 25
The Lord runs short of nothing. He has all that we need, and He is all that we need.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer to Know God as Jehovah Jireh - Your Daily Prayer - July 25
The Lord runs short of nothing. He has all that we need, and He is all that we need.
Past Stories
- I Had a Girlfriend for Two Hours. Here's What Happened.
- School Staff Praised for Life-Saving Response After Student Suffers Cardiac Arrest
- Toddler Found Alive in Hospital Morgue After Family’s Heartbreaking Scare
- Father Saves His Teenage Son's Life By Donating One of His Kidneys
- Her Father Promised to Walk Her Down the Aisle, and Even After a Heart Attack, Still Made it Happen
- Sisters Give Birth to Twin Boys, Just Hours Apart, 'Can't Wait to Watch Them Grow Up Together'
- I Fasted for 3 Days and Only Drank Water. Here's What I Learned.
- Firefighter Gets a Hero's Welcome After Returning Home After Lumber Mill Explosion
- 12-Year-Old Girl Saves Friend After She Has a Seizure in the Ocean
- One Trail Change, One Incredible Rescue: Woman Found After 3 Days Trapped in Mud
- Young Teen Saves His Older Brother With CPR Skills He Learned in School
- Community Rallies Around Firefighter After Wife's Death Following Rare Cancer Battle
- Kindergarten Teacher's Former Preschool Teacher Works With Her in the Class
- After 16 Hours Alone in Her Yard, Elderly Woman Gets Help From Two Caring Teens
- Determined Young Girl Launches Fundraiser So Her Friend Can Play Alongside Everyone Else
- Firefighter Was Able to Save His Daughter After Receiving a Crash Alert
- We've Made Marriage an Idol in the Church
- Granddaughter Steps Into the Spotlight in the Same Role Her Grandmother Did 60 Years Ago
- A Man Planned the Perfect Drive-In Date—Then Surprised Her with a Proposal
- A State Trooper Found a Kitten On the Side of the Road, Then He Adopted Him
- What I Noticed When I Stopped Scrolling
- When a Boy Couldn't Buy Ice Cream, This Vendor Turned the Moment Into Something Beautiful
- When His 7-Year-Old Son Had a Stroke in the Pool, This Father Saved His Life
- Lost Teddy Bear Goes on an Airport Adventure Before Returning Home to 4-Year-Old Boy
- Mother of Three Passed Away Unexpectedly, Then Her Neighborhood Did Something Beautiful
- Couple From Oklahoma Drive Their 100-Year-Old Car On Route 66 All the Way to California
- Young Man Rings the Cancer-Free Bell, and Graduates High School, All On the Same Day
- 7 Simple Ways I Fight Lust
- Retiring Teacher Gives Each of Her Students a Special Personalized Gift to Say Goodbye
- Stranger Reaches Out to Help a Family of Six Whose Van Was Stolen While On Vacation
- After 50 Years of Teaching, She Said Goodbye to Students in a Way They’ll Never Forget
- High School Throws Their 90-Year-Old Well-Loved Janitor a Birthday Party
- 10 Upbeat Songs For Your Summer Road Trip
- 7 Prayers For Your Kids For Safety While They Are Off For The Summer
- Community Welcomes Beloved Mailman Back After Beating Cancer, 'He's the Mailman of the Century'
- For Their 40th Anniversary, Utah Couple Decides to Bike 4,000 Miles Across the Country
- A Father's Final Goal Lives On as His Family Completes 365 Days of Playing Catch
- Teacher and Fellow Students Support Young Girl Battling Cancer With Her Favorite Thing, Music
- Firefighters Adopt This Sweet Pup That Ended Up Outside the Firehouse
- 90-Year-Old Gets Master's Degree and Becomes Oldest Person to Graduate from Texas School
- The Lie That Keeps People Away From God
- Couple Celebrating Their Diamond Anniversary Shares the Secrets to Their Long Marriage
- A School in Pennsylvania Buried a Time Capsule in 1976, They’ve Finally Opened It 50 Years Later
- A Woman Battling Incurable Cancer Set Her Sights on Everest, and Made It to the Top
- Woman Walks Away With Only a Few Scratches After a Car Crashes Through Her Windshield
- A Simple Wrong Number Led to a Beautiful Friendship Between Two Strangers
- 5 Moments That Prove Moms Always Show Up at the Perfect Time
- Community Steps Up to Honor WWII Veteran With No Known Family
- Soldier Surprises Daughter at Her High School Graduation, and it's So Sweet
- Firefighters Save a Little League Game and Give the Kids a Memory They Will Never Forget
Top Music Videos
We The Kingdom We The Kingdom Inspire and Uplift with ‘Don’t Let The Darkness’
Tauren Wells Tauren Wells Lyric Video for Powerful ‘Breathe On It’
Pat Barrett Pat Barrett Powerful 'I've Got a Fire' Live Performance
Lauren Daigle ‘Trust In You’ – Beautiful Worship Song From Lauren Daigle
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.