Author Archives: admin

< BACK

May 10 2016

THE B.E.A.T. CENTER OPENS FOR BUSINESS

“Whether you need access to a food pantry, want to learn about health care benefits or social services, or even receive training through our culinary program, this is a place where everyone is welcome. It is in the true spirit of collaboration that we, the community benefit.”

– Jon Bon Jovi, Chairman of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation

Toms River, NJ (May 10, 2016) – The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Peoples Pantry (INSPIRE NJ) and Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation announced today the opening of The B.E.A.T. Center (Bringing Everyone All Together) – a place where families and individuals can access food, job training and resources to help end the cyclical causes of hunger in Ocean County.

This “one-stop shop” will serve as a FoodBank satellite location that includes a food distribution center, production kitchen for at-risk children in after school programs, culinary skills training program and resources such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program also known as food stamps), healthcare and free tax preparation, as well as the permanent home of Peoples Pantry, a client-choice model food pantry and a second location of JBJ Soul Kitchen, a non-profit community restaurant where diners can pay for their meal by making a minimum donation of $10 or volunteering to work in the kitchen and restaurant.

“The B.E.A.T. Center functions like a 21^st century town square where programs and services are brought together and where the community can gather to get help and give help,” said FoodBank Executive Director, Carlos Rodriguez. “We know that there are 1 in 8 people in Ocean County who struggle with hunger. We support 134 feeding programs in Ocean County and the need for resources beyond food is critical. We aim to shorten the food lines by providing a variety of resources that lead to financial health and well-being. Having all of that under one roof is a game changer.”

Ocean County is New Jersey’s fastest growing county and was “ground zero” for Hurricane Sandy. According to FEMA, over 40,000 structures in the county were damaged or destroyed in the storm – 55% of the state’s total. The creation of The B.E.A.T. Center is in response to the reality that today, more than three years after the storm, there are thousands of families who are still struggling to regain housing, financial stability and to overcome food insecurity—and they are turning to local agencies in record numbers for assistance.

“Of all of the lessons learned from Sandy, the most jarring one was how financially stretched our middle class neighbors are. This collaboration will allow us to continue our work and provide the services that are so desperately needed and deserved by this under served demographic,” said Patricia Donaghue, Executive Director of The Peoples Pantry (INSPIRE NJ).

Ocean County Hunger Facts:

1 in 5 Ocean County residents are low-income (200% of poverty) or poor (at or below poverty) – that’s $15,000 for a family of 4.

71,300 residents, or 1 in 8 people in Ocean County receive food and benefits.

Seniors make up 21.4% of the population compared to the 14.1% statewide.

Nearly 13% of New Jersey’s veterans live in Ocean County.

There are 134 feeding programs in Ocean County. Programs include Pantries, Mobile Sites, Soup Kitchens, Shelters, After School and Back Pack, Senior Food and others.

The impact of this collaboration is projected to provide $5 million in support to families in need in its first year. One of The B.E.A.T. Center’s goals is to also establish a strong, visible presence in Ocean County that will raise hunger awareness, attract volunteers and advocates, and encourage food donations and financial support. The B.E.A.T. Center is being launched with initial philanthropic support from The David Tepper Foundation, and a generous grant from the OceanFirst Foundation.

“We are excited to be involved in the creation of the B.E.A.T. Center,” said David Tepper, founder of the David Tepper Charitable Foundation, Inc. “This is a unique partnership and fresh approach to meeting the needs of those members of our community that are suffering economic hardship. The B.E.A.T. Center brings a combination of critical yet basic services under one roof and provides our citizens with a central location where they can get the help they need. It’s a tremendous concept and we are confident that facilities like the B.E.A.T. Center can become a model to help families attain food security and financial stability.”

The B.E.A.T. Center is now open to the public. It is located at 1769 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ, and is accessible by public transportation. For more information and to learn how to help, please visit www.thebeatcenter.org.

< BACK

February 10 2016

180 Turning Lives Around Thanks Major Donors of New Safe House

Among the supporters recognized at the gathering were 180’s closest community partners including: Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, Faith and James Knight Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. William Luby, Mr. & Mrs. Philip D. Murphy, New Jersey Natural Gas, Dr. Robert and Joan Rechnitz and Verizon. With gratitude to these lead supporters and many others, 180 expressed appreciation to the donors whose generosity made possible the facility which is set to accept its first families later this month.

Pictured at the donor recognition event for the new 180 safe house are (from left to right) 180 Executive Director Anna Diaz-White with Lead Donors Cheryl Bliss, Fran Lobl, and Lisa Knight with the Faith & James Knight Foundation; Martha Delehanty and Andrew Testa from Verizon; Dorothea Bongiovi from the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation; and Kathy Ellis from New Jersey Natural Gas.

The new safe house will accommodate twice as many families as the current facility so that more individuals and families from Monmouth County can be served. More than 400 families were turned away over the past five years because the capacity of the existing shelter couldn’t meet the community’s needs. Monmouth County continues to rank among the highest county in the state for police-reported domestic violence incidents. In New Jersey, an act of domestic violence happens every 7.29 minutes, and it is the largest cause of homelessness in the United States. The new shelter will be able to house 45 clients and children at one time, up from 25 at its current location.

180 Executive Director Anna Diaz-White lauded the work of Capital Campaign Chair Eileen O’Hern Luby, who passed the compliments to her entire committee. “This committee was instrumental in raising the money for this safe house” said Luby. “Our current shelter is safe and clean, but our new one is a real home. Ten years ago, (former Board of Trustee President) Phil Murphy said, ‘We can do better.’ And we have done better. We have done our job.”

“These families who will stay here deserve this new place to call home. They have gone through something horrific,” said 180 Board of Trustee President, Danielle Sherwood. “I am proud to be part of this agency that helps people during a really difficult time.”

“My staff and I do our jobs, but all of you at 180 motivated us to go above and beyond,” said Senator Joseph Kyrillos. “Congratulations to the 180 board and staff, and the greater community for coming together to create a great model for the rest of the state. You have done a tremendous community service.”

The reception honored the generosity of donors, the hard work of the architects and builders, and the dedication of the 180 Board of Trustees, employees and volunteers whose vision and determination brought this project to fruition. Ground was broken and construction of a new safe house began in November of 2014. The house features 12 individual family bedroom suites with private baths, communal kitchen, dining and living areas, laundry facilities, a teen “rec” room, two creative arts therapy studios, counseling rooms, a computer/library resource room, individual storage units for each family, outdoor playground and garden.

Late last year, two major fundraisers also helped contribute to the success of the safe house construction. The October premier classic motorcar show, Concours d’Elegance, led by Jeff Cruz of Rumson; followed by December’s “Hope 8 Concert” at the Count Basie Theater, hosted by Bobby Bandiera, both provided significant funding for the organization. While the safe house construction is now complete, additional funds are needed to finish furnishing the building, as well as to provide needed counseling, therapy, transportation, court assistance and other vital services that survivor families need to begin anew. 180’s upcoming 40th Anniversary Celebration, set for April 15, will help to raise funds to supplement the operational costs of the safe house and other vital 180 programs. For more information about making a tax-deductible contribution to 180 or to attend the fundraising event in April, contact Lynn Lucarelli, Director of Development, at lynnl@180nj.org.

Story was written by 180 Turning Lives Around

NJ State statutes state that “Information which may identify the location of a shelter for victims of domestic violence shall not be deemed to be a public record.”

< BACK

January 13 2016

NJ Soul of Hunger: A Year in Review

In collaboration with NJAHC partner agencies across the state, participants were recruited and trained to be NJSOH photographers/advocates. Each participant was given a camera and asked to document through the lenses what hunger meant to them in their everyday lives. Participants in the program ranged in age, race, gender, and lived in different regions of the state. Over the course of the year, NJSOH photographers/advocates had their images featured in exhibits throughout the state; spoke at press events and a statewide poverty conference; met with federal, state and local elected officials; and testified at a state budget hearing. The NJ Soul of Hunger is a complement to the advocacy work of the NJ Anti-Hunger Coalition, promoting and supporting NJAHC’s anti-hunger policy and programmatic recommendations to address the issue.

Several of the NJSOH photographers have emerged as outspoken advocates on the issues of hunger and poverty and their voices have had a major impact on how the public and policy makers understand these problems and their potential solutions. NJSOH photographers/advocates who participated in the project have expressed that it has been a positive, empowering experience for them. Photographers were connected with resources when needed (such as SNAP application assistance) and a few of the photographers were offered additional help specific to their needs as a result of the exhibits.

The NJ Soul of Hunger project is advocacy in action. For a calendar of events and more information visit our NJ Soul of Hunger page.

< BACK

December 29 2015

Soul Foundation Thanks Spoon Full of Hope for Their Service to the Community

Following the model of the JBJ Soul Kitchen, local diners volunteered an hour of service for their meals or pay a minimum $10 donation.

Over a 47 week program Gigi and her wonderful staff cooked and served delicious meals as a way to give back to the community they love, every week coming up with mouthwatering dishes to warm and fill the souls of their neighbors. Carl and the Gateway Church supported those efforts with administrative and spiritual support. Spoon Full of Hope served 4,391 meals of which 2,692 were in-need meals. We can see that the need is still great in Union Beach.

We applaud these two groups for their commitment to help their community. We hope that the community of Union Beach continues to work together and help their neighbors and we look forward to seeing its rejuvenation. We are grateful to those who helped us meet the goals of the program.

< BACK

August 26 2015

NJ Soul of Hunger: The Atlantic City Story

The participants were asked to take photographs of their daily lives to tell their stories of how casino closures have impacted them, their families and the community. This exhibit is part of an ongoing program run by the NJ Anti-Hunger Coalition, and funded by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which aims to elevate the discussion on the many issues surrounding hunger across the state of NJ.

Mimi Box, Executive Director of the JBJ Soul Foundation, said of their involvement with this program that “the ‘face of hunger’ has changed and the advocacy and awareness of what hunger in our communities looks like has to change also”.

The NJ Anti-Hunger Coalition is planning similar events around the state including one in the fall focusing on those still feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy.

Story featured on Press of Atlantic City.com:

Art exhibit highlights ripples of casino closings in daily life
by MICHELLE BRUNETTI POST, Staff Writer

ATLANTIC CITY — The images in “NJ Soul of Hunger: The Atlantic City Story” at the Noyes Arts Garage here are simple, but they convey the many-layered effect of casino closings on area families.

Gary Howard, of Egg Harbor Township, shot a page in a dining guide to show a part of his life that ended with his 27-year job when the Showboat Atlantic City Casino closed.

“I used to go out to eat once a week. That’s gone now,” said Howard, who had opened Showboat and worked in warehouse and receiving almost three decades. “There’s a trickle-down effect to everybody. I’m not putting money back into the local economy anymore.”

He also shot himself cutting his own hair, showing another way his cutbacks have a ripple effect.

Rachel Swain, of Atlantic City, photographed an old pair of black slip-on shoes that she wears all the time now.

She lost her job in environmental services at the Showboat when it closed last September, and was unemployed for months after working there 26 years. Finally in May, she found a new job at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City, which pays considerably less than her former job.

Their photos are part of a project sponsored by the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition and funded by a grant from the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.

The exhibit opened Friday with a news conference featuring four of eight local photographers, all recruited to participate by one of the social service agencies helping them get through hard times after the closing of four casinos and the layoffs of 8,000 casino workers.

“We had an 11 percent increase in the number of pounds of food we distributed this last year,” said Evelyn Benton, Executive Director of the FoodBank of New Jersey-Southern Branch in Egg Harbor Township.

Benton said Galloway Township’s mobile food pantry has experienced the biggest increase in food distributed, going up 79 percent since the casino closings.

“These are not numbers,” said Benton. “These are people and their families.”

“Whether they are individuals or families, we need everyone at the table to help them,” said Jeanetta Warren, project coordinator of Catholic Charities’ Atlantic City Crisis Committee. “We will continue to make noise about it so people don’t forget.”

Both Robert Worrell of Absecon and Shakir Abdussalaam, of Atlantic City, took photos of their wives and young children, who motivated them to keep looking for work after they either lost a casino job or had work hours cut back drastically.

Worrell’s hours as a cook at Harrah’s were so unreliable, he took a $6 per-hour pay cut and became a security guard to be guaranteed 40 hours a week and a steady paycheck.

His wife lost her casino job, and they have a young son, so must also depend on help from Medicaid and the SNAP nutritional assistance program, he said.

Abdussalaam started working at Borgata in 2007, but left for Revel, thinking it was a good move.

“Now that closed, and me and my wife just brought a child into this debacle of casino closings,” he said.

Abdussalaam said he recently found a part-time job, but more should be done to help former casino workers find good-paying jobs.

“We worked hard and sent millions to Trenton every day,” he said. “We deserve better.”

Howard said he has been job hunting for almost a year now, and at age 61 often doesn’t even get a response to the resumes he sends.

He lost his home in the township and moved in with girlfriend Kathleen Kautz, a former daycare worker who is on disability for health issues, she said.

Swain went back to school to be a certified nurses assistant, but after graduating and sending out 16 applications got no offers.

So she called a vice president at AtlantiCare, told him her story, and got a job offer in housekeeping soon after, she said.

She was hired in May, but life is still a struggle. She is making $10.91 an hour, she said, compared to $14.42 an hour at her casino job, she said.

NJAHC Director Adele LaTourette said her organization is doing similar events around the state, including one in Toms River focusing on families recovering from Hurricane Sandy. See njahc.org.