Helping provide affordable and permanent housing in our community:

Gave $250,000 grant to Help USA to help renovate Reynolds School, an abandoned school in Philadelphia, into 55 apartments—bringing housing and support services to homeless veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities. Construction began this past summer.

Responding to COVID-19:

Provided emergency response in our community by distributing Meals To Go to non-paying individuals and families in-need at our JBJ Soul Kitchen Restaurants in Red Bank and Toms River in New Jersey. With a limited staff, we distributed meals 5 days a week over a 7 week period, serving over 4,000 meals in total. We transitioned back to our Pay-It-Forward Model in May, and now offer paid meals to go for curbside pickup via our new online ordering system at www.jbjsoulkitchen.org

Responding to COVID-19:

Donated meals to our community partners to help feed individuals in-need – Boys and Girls Club, Wesleyan Arms, 180 Turning Lives Around, Seeds of Service, and the Senior Community Center. We also distributed donated homemade masks to our in-need community and face shields to local health care workers.

Responding to COVID-19:

Delivered JBJ Soul Kitchen meals to the ER staff at St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark to thank them for being on the front lines to care for patients during the pandemic.

Responding to COVID-19:

Gave $100,000 grant to Step Up to the Plate is a city-wide initiative to feed and provide health services to homeless and in-need individuals in Philadelphia—enabling access to necessities including food, medical care, personal hygiene stations, and COVID-19 resources and support.

Partnering to help serve our in-need community:

Renovated the JBJ Soul Kitchen Red Bank kitchen with donated equipment, dishes, utensils, pots, and pans from Jeremy at Beast Restaurant Equipment – everything we need to serve our community.

Responding to COVID-19:

Opened the JBJ Soul Kitchen Food Bank, a four-month food distribution program serving communities across the East End of Long Island. Distributed 447,225 lb. (238 tons) of healthy shelf-stable foods, fruit, vegetables, and pre-made frozen meals across 8 pantries, serving 5,000 people per month and averaging 25,000 lb. per week. Special thanks to our partner pantries and generous partners who supported the program, including the Rubenstein Family.

Helping provide affordable and permanent housing in our community:

Celebrated the grand opening of HABCore’S 4-unit River Street Expansion Project in Red Bank, which we helped fund with our $100,000 grant. HABCore provides permanent housing and individualized support, helping homeless families, veterans, and individuals with special needs move through crisis to stability, giving them the opportunity to improve their lives.

Supporting First Responders in Our Community:

Local Police, First Aid, and Fire Departments competed for the coveted annual Chili Cook-Off Champion title, now in its sixth year. This year was a little different—we held the event virtually over the course of a month where patrons could order the featured chili off of the menu. Special thanks to our local first responders, and congratulations to this year’s winner: Toms River Fire Department #1!

Providing a place to stay and support services to in-need individuals in our community:

Launched charity wish list drive to support and provided essential personal items to in-need guests staying at the Warming Center during 32 degree Code Blue nights.

Partnering to help serve our in-need community:

From donated winter coats to keep our in-need community warm to their countless volunteers years at JBJ Soul Kitchen, we continue to be grateful for our partnership with Kohl’s.