Jon Bon Jovi Feeds the Unhoused, But This Mayor Wants to Shut It Down

Jon Bon Jovi Feeds the Unhoused, But This Mayor Wants to Shut It Down

Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea have been fighting hunger and homelessness with their non-profit, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, since 2006. Through their JBJ Soul Kitchen restaurants in New Jersey, they offer meals with no set prices—just a suggested donation or the option to volunteer for a free meal. These restaurants have served over 200,000 meals, all with the goal of lifting up those in need.

But not everyone’s a fan of this generosity.

In Tom's River, New Jersey, the local mayor, Daniel Roderick, is trying to shut down Bon Jovi's pop-up Soul Kitchen at the Ocean County Library. His claim? The restaurant is allegedly driving up the unhoused population in the area and posing a “safety concern.” He even suggested cutting checks and giving out Barnes & Noble gift cards instead of feeding people.

But here’s the twist—while the mayor says he has data to back his claim, the Ocean County Board of Commissioners has data showing the opposite. So why is this mayor going after a well-known charity with a rock star at the helm? Well, by May, it may not matter since the pop-up is scheduled to close, but the question remains: Why fight a good cause?

Perhaps it’s just easier to fight the solution than the problem.