JBJ Soul Kitchen pop-up at Toms River library to close April 30
Founder Dorothea Bongiovi thanked the downtown Toms River community and nonprofit partners for supporting the effort. "The outpouring of encouragement and support has been incredibly humbling," she said.
The JBJ Soul Kitchen Pop-Up at the Ocean County Library in Toms River will close April 30, ending an initiative that opened in February 2025 to serve people in need in the downtown area.
The pop-up was launched at the invitation of the Ocean County Library as a response to a growing unhoused population in Toms River and as part of JBJ Soul Kitchen’s outreach during Code Blue season, when freezing temperatures create dangerous conditions for people without shelter.
JBJ Soul Kitchen said the pop-up followed the same Pay It Forward model as its other locations, offering guests who could not pay a warm meal while also connecting them with volunteer opportunities and community resources. The organization said it worked with community partners to provide housing assistance, substance use support, mental health services and other aid.
The pop-up supported about 40 long-term unhoused individuals and, through its partnerships, distributed more than 1,350 hygiene kits and made 276 referrals to service providers, resulting in 13 housing placements and nine people securing jobs, according to JBJ Soul Kitchen.
Over the past year, the site served more than 15,870 meals, with 79% going to guests in need. More than 1,000 volunteers contributed nearly 4,000 hours of service, including students from Toms River High School South Business Academy.
“During our time in the space, it quickly became clear there was a strong need for access to healthy, nutritious meals, along with additional community resources,” Assistant General Manager Rob Wood said in a statement.
Founder Dorothea Bongiovi thanked the downtown Toms River community and nonprofit partners for supporting the effort. "The outpouring of encouragement and support has been incredibly humbling," she said.
JBJ Soul Kitchen said its Toms River location on Hooper Avenue will remain open.
