{"id":583836,"date":"2020-01-22T10:26:40","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T15:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jbjsf.org\/?p=583836"},"modified":"2021-10-26T13:19:09","modified_gmt":"2021-10-26T17:19:09","slug":"first-jbj-soul-kitchen-on-a-college-campus-opens-at-rutgers-university-newark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jbjsf.org\/news\/2020\/01\/22\/first-jbj-soul-kitchen-on-a-college-campus-opens-at-rutgers-university-newark\/","title":{"rendered":"FIRST JBJ SOUL KITCHEN ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS OPENS AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY \u2013 NEWARK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Campus Foodservice\nProvider, Gourmet Dining, Introduces \u201cPay It Forward\u201d Community Restaurant as\nInnovative Approach to Addressing Student Food Insecurity <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pictured (L-R): Nancy Cantor, Chancellor, Rutgers University-Newark; <\/em>
Phil Murphy, Governor, New Jersey; Tammy Murphy; First Lady of New Jersey; <\/em>
Dorothea Bongiovi, Jon Bon Jovi; Michael Frungillo, President, Gourmet Dining  <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Newark, N.J. \u2013 January 22, 2020<\/strong> \u2013 It\u2019s hard to believe, but one in three students attending a four-year college struggle with the issue of food insecurity. At Rutgers University \u2013 Newark (RU-N), where more than 50 percent of students have exceptional financial need, the campus community is taking an innovative approach to address the issue by opening the first JBJ Soul Kitchen on a college campus in partnership with the school\u2019s food service provider, Gourmet Dining. The JBJ Soul Kitchen serves healthy, delicious meals to students, faculty and community members who have the ability to pay, in addition to students who are in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFood insecurity is one of the most critical issues college students face today,\u201d said Jon Bon Jovi, Board Chairman, JBJ Soul Foundation<\/strong>. \u201cWe applaud Gourmet Dining and Rutgers University-Newark who have made tackling this issue a priority so that students always have a place to go for a great-tasting, healthy meal. We couldn\u2019t have found a better place to open our third JBJ Soul Kitchen location and truly believe that when students are supported with basic needs and backed by their community, they can and will go on to do amazing things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rutgers\nUniversity – Newark has long been at the forefront of addressing the issue of\nstudent food insecurity and has taken a comprehensive approach to open a food\npantry, organize a care team and work with student organizations dedicated to\nfighting hunger on campus. Introducing the JBJ Soul Kitchen at RU-N provides\neven greater opportunities for the entire campus community to come together and\neducate and assist one another to solve this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur\nnew partnership with the JBJ Soul Foundation and Gourmet Dining to open JBJ\nSoul Kitchen\u2014the first on a college campus\u2014takes our collective action on food\ninsecurity to a whole new level,\u201d said Rutgers University \u2013 Newark Chancellor\nNancy Cantor.  \u201cThis is the kind of action that I think the late great\nNewark Rabbi Joachim Prinz had in mind when he spoke at the March on Washington\njust before Dr. King in 1963 and said: \u2018Neighbor is not a geographic term. It\nis a moral concept. It means our collective responsibility for the preservation\nof human dignity and integrity.\u2019 For us at Rutgers-Newark, that is what it\nmeans to be an anchor institution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At\nJBJ Soul Kitchen RU-N, students, faculty and community members are invited to\ndine and pay-it-forward by making a minimum donation of $12 or using a donated meal\nplan \u201cswipe\u201d. Students may also volunteer their time by participating in\nvarious activities around the restaurant or in other campus dining locations to\ncover the cost of their meal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat makes the JBJ Soul Kitchen model special is that it\u2019s designed so that everyone can enjoy a healthy, delicious meal and dine with dignity \u2013 whether you\u2019re hungry or hungry to make a difference,\u201d added Dorothea Bongiovi, Founder, JBJ Soul Kitchen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No\nmatter the individual\u2019s socioeconomic situation, everyone who dines at the JBJ\nSoul Kitchen will enjoy the same chef-created, three-course meal. Every week\nthe menu changes with a variety of options for appetizers, main courses and\ndesserts. Some of the menus will feature a Soul Spiced BBQ Pulled Beef, a Coffee\nand Soul Spiced Short Rib, and Maple Roasted Chicken. All meat served is\ncertified Halal, Kosher is available upon request, and there are always vegan\nand gluten-free options, along with delicious desserts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a campus dining service, everything we do is focused\non meeting the ever-changing dining needs of our students and know that great\nmeals are a part of their success. One day, after seeing a long line of\nstudents waiting to visit the food pantry, I knew we needed to do something\nmore to help them focus on being students \u2013 and not worry about where their\nnext meal is coming from,\u201d said Michael Frungillo, President, Gourmet Dining.\n\u201cUnderstanding there was a successful model and a great champion essentially in\nour own backyard in New Jersey, we soon approached Jon and Dorothea and the JBJ\nSoul Kitchen. We\u2019re honored to carry their mission forward and know we have all\nthe right ingredients to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beginning on Thursday January 23, the JBJ Soul Kitchen\nRU-N will be open for lunch from 11:30am-1:30pm ET Monday-Friday. It is located\non the second floor of the Paul Robeson Campus Center at 350 Dr. M.L.K. Jr.\nBlvd. in Newark, N.J. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individuals interested in making a contribution to the JBJ Soul Kitchen can visit <\/strong>https:\/\/www.runewarkdining.com\/jbjsoulkitchen\/<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Campus Foodservice Provider, Gourmet Dining, Introduces \u201cPay It Forward\u201d Community Restaurant as Innovative Approach to Addressing Student Food Insecurity. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":583837,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[69,8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n