Jon Bon Jovi discusses plans for the B.E.A.T. Center, which he described as a resource hub for people in need, during an April 14 press conference at the center’s future location in Toms River. Jon Bon Jovi is taking his efforts to serve those in need in central New Jersey a step further.
The rock star’s Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation is among several charitable organizations that have teamed up to see that nobody has to go hungry, unveiling plans last week for the B.E.A.T. Center in Toms River. The center’s name stands for Bringing Everyone All Together.
The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties is spearheading the effort in association with the People’s Pantry (Inspire NJ) and Bon Jovi’s foundation. Jon Bon Jovi said the B.E.A.T. Center — located at the Silverton Plaza on Hooper Avenue — will work as a resource hub, providing families and individuals in need with a place to go and obtain the resources they need.
Jon Bon Jovi addresses those gathered for the B.E.A.T. Center announcement. PHOTOS BY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR “The center will be a one-stop shop for everyone in the area in need and will also provide materials for job training so we can help people get where they need to be,” Bon Jovi, a resident of Middletown, told Greater Media Newspapers.
Besides providing individuals with food, the center will work towards connecting residents to other programs, such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, which provides food stamps, affordable health care, tax-preparation services and culinary training programs, according to Carlos Rodriguez, executive director of the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
“This area was significantly affected by superstorm Sandy, and some residents are still out of their homes and in need, so the B.E.A.T. Center will encourage families to come out, get the help they need and get a meal where they can all be around the table,” Rodriguez said. The B.E.A.T. Center was proposed 18 months ago when the food bank was exploring the possibility of providing further services to residents of Ocean County, according to Rodriguez. The food bank then formed the partnership with the People’s Pantry and Bon Jovi’s foundation.
Patricia Donaghue of the People’s Pantry speaks at the April 14 press conference. “We decided to bring our collaboration and ideas together to address the needs of the community and leverage each other’s desires to help one another. We are working towards keeping the lines of hunger far away from Ocean County,” Rodriguez said.
The B.E.A.T. Center will also serve as the second location of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Kitchen.
The Soul Kitchen, whose first location is in Red Bank, is a place where diners can pay for their meal by volunteering there or making a small donation. By donating an hour of their time, volunteers earn a dining certificate for themselves and up to four family members.
“The center is a unique model and is another example of the power of ‘we,’ ” Bon Jovi said. “We can train people for on-site job training and make this vision a reality.”
Patricia Donaghue, executive director of the People’s Pantry, has worked hard since superstorm Sandy to provide her neighbors with the materials they need, and she said the B.E.A.T. Center is a new place of hope.
“The number of people in need keeps on climbing, so lives will definitely be changed at the new B.E.A.T. Center,” Donaghue said.
The People’s Pantry became the “go-to” place after the storm hit, according to Donaghue. With about 19,000 individuals in their database — and feeding 3,000 people a month — those involved with the pantry are excited to work on new endeavors with the B.E.A.T. Center.
“The pantry has dealt with broken families before, so it will be nice to get a family all around the same table at the center. Meals are the one time a day where parents can connect with their children. This is an incredible opportunity, and I can’t begin to thank enough everyone that is involved,” Donaghue said.
The David Tepper Charitable Foundation will work with the B.E.A.T. Center as the facility’s primary funder. The foundation focuses on providing basic needs, improving education and bringing awareness to immigration-related issues, according to its founder, David Tepper. During the financial recession that began in 2008, the foundation worked to bring resources to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Hillside, and other organizations around the state.
Tepper said he is pleased to partner with the B.E.A.T. Center.
“I am proud to be a part of this center, and it is a great investment for one’s self and their soul,” Tepper said.
The B.E.A.T. Center is expected to open its doors later this year. An exact date has not been set.
“We have decided to push ourselves to find creative ways to provide food for people in need,” Bon Jovi said. “And with the B.E.A.T. Center providing services and job opportunities all in one location, it makes one moment of someone’s day just a bit easier.”
Launched in 1994, MCFOODS coordinates food-collection and distribution activities for all areas of Middlesex County.
“We serve almost every township in the county and service over 100 food pantries and soup kitchens across Middlesex,” Apostol said.
While MCFOODS receives most of its food and other items from the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Hillside, the Middlesex County food network also accepts donations and receives about 40,000 pounds of food weekly, according to Apostol.
Some of the most needed items include peanut butter, vegetables, canned meats and soup, and the food can be donated year-round at collection sites set up at libraries in Edison, East Brunswick, Metuchen, Milltown, Monroe, North Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, Plainsboro, South Amboy, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, Spotswood and Woodbridge.
The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, headquartered in Neptune City, helps one in 10 families in the region, according to Executive Director Carlos Rodriguez.
“The food bank touches no less than 71,000 people. Our neighbors need us and we must all come together to address the needs of the community and hold the lines of hunger far away,” Rodriguez said.
Elijah’s Promise in New Brunswick works to combat hunger by providing nutritious and healthful food to individuals in need, according to Executive Director Jim Zullo.
“Our mission was founded in 1989 when three New Brunswick churches came together to start a soup kitchen. Since then, we serve two meals a day weekdays and one on weekends, and we are proud to say we have never missed a meal,” Zullo said.
The organization’s Promise Culinary School aims to provide unemployed members of the community with a place to get job training and acquire new skills.
“We wanted to get the people we help engaged with something valuable. Our culinary school has trained 750 students so far and has an 85 percent graduation rate, and 90 percent of our students get placed into jobs within the culinary field,” Zullo said.
The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, founded in 1984 in a small building in Spring Lake, has become the primary provider of food and services to a network of more than 300 partner agencies, according to Rodriguez. The facility receives food from government and private entities, as well as through donations from individuals, local farms and manufacturers.
“We have helped at least 131,000 families each year and have received 12,000 additional families after [superstorm] Sandy. We are always working in partnership with the community,” Rodriguez said.
Apostol said it is important to get the whole community to work together toward a greater good.
“If there is ever a group in a local school or a local club who wants to hold a food drive, we encourage that activity and will help them out by supplying boxes for donations towards their drive and whatever help they need. We always get young volunteers at our center,” Apostol said.
Rodriguez said volunteers are always encouraged.
“People can learn to become a leader in their community through volunteering at a food bank. It is a great way to help out your local community,” Rodriguez said.
Volunteering at a soup kitchen not only gives volunteers the opportunity to support the fight against poverty; it provides necessary education about hunger, Zullo said.
“We get about 2,500 to 3,000 volunteers annually and always enough hands to help out every shift,” Zullo said.
Food banks have been introducing new resources to help people in need get back on their feet, according to Apostol.
“MCFOODS works very hard to get families connected with resources they need, and in collaboration with the Community Food Bank, we work together in providing food stamps for families who enroll and help them with that process,” Apostol said.
Thanks to $300,000 in support grants for partner agencies, the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties works with clients on programs such as filing tax returns and finding affordable health insurance, Rodriguez said.
“Some of the families we help might be eligible for other government programs by doing their taxes. Public and private health insurance also has an impact on families and some have high amounts of unpaid medical bills. It is all life-changing,” Rodriguez said.
Elijah’s Promise provides outside services such as Promise Catering in Highland Park and their Better World Market in Somerset — both operated by graduates and current students of the organization’s culinary program.
“At both services, we are providing individuals with high-quality foods and fresh produce from local farms. The services symbolize a sense of community, and we also provide health screenings there,” Zullo said.
Elijah’s Promise also offers education on urban agriculture and provides community gardens for those seeking to grow their own products.
Monmouth County Freeholder John Curley, who serves as social services liaison for the county, has seen firsthand the effects hunger can have on a person.
“My wife and I saw a woman around our neighborhood once who was sick and hungry, so we helped her buy some groceries. After some time passed, we found out the woman died due to malnutrition. It isn’t happening anymore just in one part of our community … it is surrounding all of our neighborhoods,” Curley said.
The work that food banks do daily is essential, Curley said.
“No one has any ideas the calls that I get from families struggling to make ends meet. By bringing awareness to the problem, we can all work together,” Curley said.
Apostol said being the coordinator of a food bank has been a very positive experience in her life.
“It is very heartwarming and rewarding to get involved with this and see the smiles of people you help,” Apostol said.
Zullo said organizations that work to fight hunger are making positive moves in their communities.
“We are working to break down barriers and all eat together in one environment. We are also teaching individuals how to be self-sufficient, which is very important,” Zullo said.
Rodriguez said the food banks are all working daily to eliminate hunger.
“We must tell hunger it isn’t welcomed anymore and nourish it enough to make it eventually disappear,” Rodriguez said.