{"id":224,"date":"2011-12-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-12-02T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jonbonjovisoulfoundation.sparkart.wpengine.com\/?p=220"},"modified":"2011-12-02T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-12-02T08:00:00","slug":"jon-bon-jovi-soul-foundation-honored-at-heart-of-camden-gala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jbjsf.org\/news\/2011\/12\/02\/jon-bon-jovi-soul-foundation-honored-at-heart-of-camden-gala\/","title":{"rendered":"Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation Honored at Heart of Camden Gala"},"content":{"rendered":"

Please visit our Photo Gallery<\/a> to see images from the Gala.<\/p>\n

Watch Jon Bon Jovi’s interview with ABC Action News:<\/p>\n

Bon Jovi earns honor for effort to aid Camden<\/strong><\/u><\/br><\/p>\n

Written By: Joe Cooney, Courier-Post Staff<\/p>\n

CHERRY HILL \u2014 Rocker Jon Bon Jovi came to town Friday night to accept the \u201cSmall Things, Great Love\u201d Award at the second annual Heart of Camden Gala. And during his remarks \u2014 contrary to the egotistical image one might conjure of an international superstar \u2014 the New Jersey native barely used the pronoun \u201cI.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are big believers in the power of we,\u201d said the singer, founder of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. \u201cTonight we\u2019re here to shine a light. We\u2019re coming together to take control and make a difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernment can\u2019t do it alone. Residents or rock stars can\u2019t do it alone. This award is not about me, it\u2019s about us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The musician\u2019s philanthropic efforts in the Delaware Valley began in 2006 when he helped support the construction of nearly 300 affordable housing units in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

In 2009, he turned his attention to Camden, and in the last two years his foundation has helped to clean up vacant lots, provide shelter for the homeless and \u2014 with a $262,000 grant to Heart of Camden \u2014 build nine homes in the Waterfront South area.<\/p>\n

Heart of Camden Executive Director Helen Pierson said, \u201cJon Bon Jovi\u2019s work, his spirit and the mission of his foundation is to help the families of Camden. He\u2019s trying to give people better lives. And that fits the mission of the award.\u201d<\/p>\n

The award takes its names from the words of the late missionary Mother Teresa, who said, \u201cWe cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.\u201d<\/p>\n

The inspiration for the Heart of Camden Gala, said event co-chair Ann Baiada, was the \u201c20\/20\u201d segment on Camden hosted by Diane Sawyer that aired in 2007.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Sawyer) mirrored the lives of kids in Moorestown with the kids in Camden,\u201d said Baiada. \u201cAnd I felt bad because we live in Moorestown. We had to do something. We finally met with Monsignor (Michael) Doyle and he told us, \u2018just think of the children.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Doyle is the longtime pastor at Camden\u2019s Sacred Heart Church, which started Heart of Camden in 1984.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo last year we had our first gala and we honored Msgr. Doyle,\u201d Baiada continued, noting that the $175 tickets to the event sold out quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could have sold 1,000 tickets,\u201d she said of the event held at the Crowne Plaza on Route 70. \u201cBut we had to cut it to 675. We hope to raise more than $200,000 this year. Jon has a good heart and he\u2019s done a lot for New Jersey and he took a great interest in Camden because he believes in the same things we do: building homes; helping the homeless; and making neighborhoods safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camden Mayor Dana Redd introduced the rock star, saying that she had the privilege of being blessed by Mother Teresa when the nun visited the city in 1976.<\/p>\n

\u201cTonight is about the city of Camden and her people. We have a great partner in the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, a strong partner in providing hope to our residents,\u201d said Redd.<\/p>\n

Invoking the prayer before the meal, Doyle referred to a couple of Bon Jovi song titles.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod bless Jon Bon Jovi,\u201d said the Irish cleric. \u201cHelp us continue \u2018Living on a Prayer\u2019 for Camden. And, oh, God, make sure \u2018It\u2019s All Right.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Bon Jovi, who declined to speak with the press, ended his remarks by saying, \u201cWhen we were working in Philadelphia we learned a lot and were taught the difference between giving somebody a hand up and not a handout. Now, we\u2019re committed to turning Camden around for the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jon Bon Jovi accepted the “Small Things, Great Love” award at the Heart of Camden Gala on behalf of the JBJ Soul Foundation this evening. The JBJ Soul Foundation is honored to have been given this award in recognition of the work that we have done and continue to do with our community partners in Camden, NJ. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":223,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[28,49,8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n