A pop-up outpost of Jon Bon Jovi‘s JBJ Soul Kitchen at a public library has created an uproar in Toms River, New Jersey, in the past week. The township’s mayor, Daniel Rodrick, has painted the restaurant as a “day shelter and soup kitchen,” claiming it is attracting a homeless population that he doesn’t want in Toms River. The pop-up is set to remain there through May.
The kitchen, which opened in February, offers meals at a suggested price of $12 to address food insecurity. USA Today reports that the pop-up also allows people to volunteer for food and allows paying customers to buy meals for people in need. Rodrick, a Republican, has also voiced disappointment with county officials, whom he says have not provided a solution for the unhoused people gathered at the bibliothèque, part of the Ocean County Library.
“They’ve completely ignored all of our complaints and concerns,” the mayor said of his fellow officials. “Mothers shouldn’t have to walk through large gangs of intoxicated and mentally ill men with their children to borrow a book.”
Ocean County Commissioner Jennifer Bacchione, a liaison to Ocean County’s Library Commission, said in a statement that she disagrees with Rodrick’s depiction of the pop-up as a “soup kitchen,” adding that it doesn’t give away food. Nevertheless, USA Today reports that officials are consulting law enforcement about having officers present at library locations. “[Homelessness is] a sad situation and we have to come up with a solution,” Bacchione said. “In the meantime, it’s a public library, and we are keeping the people safe.”
“The JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen are committed to ending homelessness through real solutions,” Jon and Dorothea Bon Jovi said in a statement to Patch. “Through our JBJ Soul Kitchen, we connect people to resources and services. Whether they need employment, mental health support, or housing, we try to remove the barriers that are keeping them from thriving, not just surviving.”
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Jon and his wife, Dorothea Bon Jovi, also operate another JBJ Soul Kitchen with a permanent location in Toms River. Patch reports that the location inside the library was previously a Dunkin.
Rodrick previously threatened to sue the board of commissioners for wanting to open a homeless shelter in Toms River, according to Patch, which adds that he has yet to make good on his threats.