Bon Jovi, Wife Push Back On Toms River Mayor's 'Soup Kitchen' Claim
The couple who head JBJ Soul Foundation responded to comments Mayor Daniel Rodrick made regarding homeless in downtown Toms River.
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Karen Wall,
Patch Staff
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Posted Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 3:21 pm ET
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Updated Mon, Apr 7, 2025 at 3:51 pm ET
Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi at the opening of the JBK Soul Kitchen in Toms River in 2016. Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick has accused them of running a "soup kitchen" at the Ocean County Library.
Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi at the opening of the JBK Soul Kitchen in Toms River in 2016. Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick has accused them of running a "soup kitchen" at the Ocean County Library. (Karen Wall/Patch)
TOMS RIVER, NJ — Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi are at odds with Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick, who accused the couple's JBJ Soul Foundation of running a soup kitchen and drawing people who are homeless to the Ocean County Library.

He accused the county commissioners of turning the library's downtown Toms River branch into a "day shelter and soup kitchen," and said the county had ignored his complaints and concerns, the Asbury Park Press reported.

JBJ Soul Foundation has operated the JBJ Soul Kitchen in Toms River for nearly 9 years. Between the Toms River and Red Bank locations, the foundation has served more than 200,000 meals, a spokesperson said.

The temporary location at the Ocean County Library — in the spot that formerly was rented to Dunkin until the coronavirus pandemic — opened in February with the same premise as the site on Hooper Avenue: provide meals at a lower price. It is not a soup kitchen where anyone can walk in and get a free meal; those who are in need trade volunteer hours at the Soul Kitchen in exchange for a meal, part of a larger program that connects those in need with services including job searches, finding housing assistance, connections with mental health supports and more.

Rodrick's comments about the foundation's library pop-up facility came as part of fight with Ocean County officials, who Rodrick blames for an increase in the number of homeless individuals in downtown Toms River.

"The JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen are committed to ending homelessness through real solutions," Jon and Dorothea Bon Jovi said in an emailed statement. "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."

"We invite anyone to The B.E.A.T. Center in Toms River or to the JBJ Soul Kitchen Pop Up to see what we are doing to end homelessness and hunger in our community," the statement said.

The pop-up site at the library is only open four hours a day four days a week: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. The main site, on Hooper Avenue, is in the Silverton section, and it too has limited days and hoursthat meals are served.

"Commissioners Rob Arace and Frank Sadeghi believe they are serving on the San Francisco Board of Commissioners," Rodrick said in the Asbury Park Press report. "They've completely ignored all of our complaints and concerns. Mothers shouldn't have to walk through large gangs of intoxicated and mentally ill men with their children to borrow a book."

"The issue of homelessness is not a matter of placing blame but calls for everyone to come to the table to help find the appropriate solution," Sadeghi, the deputy commissioner, said in a statement to Patch. "Placing blame is not productive. Let’s all work together for a common and beneficial outcome to homelessness. Since COVID we have seen homelessness begin to rise and it’s not just Ocean County, it’s universal."

Toms River is the county seat, and services to assist people in crisis — including those at the Ocean County Social Services building, the Toms River bus terminal, numerous nonprofit agencies — are centered in the town.

Rodrick has repeatedly accused Ocean County officials and local organizations of bringing homeless people into Toms River from all over the county and all over the state, including during a feud last year with Just Believe Inc., which had operated a Code Blue shelter in the township's Riverwood Park building for seven years, providing overnight shelter on nights where temperatures dropped below 35 degrees.

Ocean County is one of two in the state that does not have a year-round shelter for those without housing, and provides only overnight shelter during extreme cold.

Rodrick also threatened to sue the board of commissioners when the county announced it was opening a Code Blue shelter on its property on Route 9, in the wake of Toms River ending its coooperation with Just Believe. To date, no lawsuit has been filed by Toms River officials.

That shelter, operated by Collaborative Support Programs of NJ, served 220 people and was open 88 nights during the Code Blue season, Nov. 1 through March 31, a county spokeswoman said.

Rodrick's criticisms initially were published by Shore News Network, whose owner receives payments from Toms River Township monthly for publishing press releases. At the Feb. 26 Toms River council meeting, the council approved an invoice for $7,332 for Shore Media and Marketing, owned by Phil Stilton, the owner and publisher of Shore News Network.

Rodrick's criticisms also came on the heels of support by Arace for Republican candidate for the Ward 4 Toms River council seat. Rodrick aims to secure control of the council by ousting incumbent David Ciccozzi, but there are two candidates battling Ciccozzi: Rodrick's choice, Anthony Matarazzo, and Anthony Ricotta, who has the backing of Arace and Ocean County Republican Party Chairman George Gilmore.

"Ocean County has taken steps to address (homelessness) and continues to do so," Sadeghi said. "One such step was the creation of the Homelessness Trust Fund in 2023 which has helped us fund Code Blue throughout the county, not just in one town but it serves all of our towns. It also provides funding for other programs that benefit our needy residents."

"We continue to work with our county agencies to address the root cause of homelessness," Sadeghi said. "In some instances, our residents are just one paycheck away from losing the roof that is over their heads. A child gets sick, someone loses a job and before you know it a hardworking family’s safety net is gone. Rather than point fingers, it is far better for us to work together for the good of all of our residents."

"We are not here to just move people around or force them into the shadows. Our Foundation has built nearly a thousand units of affordable and supportive housing," the JBJ Soul Foundation statement said. "We are unsure where the mayor thinks millions of dollars are trading hands, but we are completely unaware of any such programs and receive no such funding."

https://patch.com/new-jersey/b...a3e4d1368e789704fdcf