When he’s not performing for thousands of fans, Jon Bon Jovi is giving back to those in need.
The “Dead or Alive” singer recently opened his second Soul Kitchen restaurant in New Jersey. It’s located near Toms River, which is a town devastated by Hurricane Sandy.
Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea Bongiovi, teamed with the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation to hold a grand opening earlier this month for the B.E.A.T. Center, which stands for Bringing Everyone All Together.
The center holds the special restaurant. At the establishment, those in need can perform volunteer work to pay for their meals. In addition, paying customers can donate toward the cost of the volunteers’ food by purchasing a “Pay It Forward” certificate. Jon opened his first restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey in 2011.
“[Soul Kitchen] just looks like another restaurant,” the singer told CBS News. “And you have to understand that those who are in need sometimes don’t have that opportunity to go to a restaurant.”
According to the Associated Press, the B.E.A.T. Center is a one-stop location to help people apply for health care, receive nutritional assistance and prepare for for jobs in the food industry. Soul Kitchen is at the heart of it all.
“When you come into this restaurant, there are no prices on our menu,” Bon Jovi continued. “So if you are in need, you participate. And that means bussing the table, washing a dish, working in our gardens. If you are here to just enjoy a meal, and effect change directly by buying a pay it forward card, you are paying for your meal and for someone else’s that are here in the restaurant.”
Photo Credit: Flickr (ejmc)