TOMS RIVER – New eateries are not uncommon in Downtown Toms River, but a one that opened recently offers the distinct difference in helping food insecure people get the nourishing, delicious meals they need and deserve.
The JBJ Soul Kitchen’s new pop-up is testing the waters on Washington Street, operating out of the old church attached to the library in downtown Toms River. Customers can buy lunch like any of the other restaurants in the area. If they can’t afford it, they can volunteer to work off their bill. Emergency blankets, hand warmers, and other items were being given out as well.
On the first day the shop was officially opened, there were a mix of paying customers and people who volunteered in exchange for their meals, said Tessa Caruso, Marketing Manager for the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.
A meal costs $12, and includes an appetizer, entrée, dessert, and coffee. Gluten free and dairy free options are available. People can pay it forward, buying someone a meal or coffee.
“There are a lot of clients coming here that can’t go to the Hooper Avenue location,” she said.
The closest JBJ Soul Kitchen is at 1769 Hooper Avenue, also in Toms River. It neighbors the B.E.A.T. Center, which provides wraparound services for those in need.
Danny Marvin, Community Coordinator for the pop-up, said that this will be during Code Blue. This is a state designation when outside temperatures drop to near freezing, and overnight homeless shelters open. After three months, they expect that it will prove to be successful and that they will continue to operate there.
Its current hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
There’s no set end date, Caruso said. “As Code Blue continues, we’ll be here to serve the community.”
They have been getting the word out on social media as well as talking to other nonprofits that interact with residents in need. That way, they can help spread the word.
Nonprofits generally find that they can reach their target audience by going where they are, rather than inviting them to come to the offices. Literature advertising this location notes that it’s close to the Toms River Park and Ride, South Jersey Legal Services, and the NJ Re-entry Corporation.
Some people don’t have their own transportation or can’t pay for public transportation, so this location will serve them where they are, Marvin said.
The church building served those in need throughout its various eras. Library research staff provided the documents for a previous article in this newspaper, primarily ones compiled by Pauline S. Miller, county historian, and Mary Ellen Hudson, clerk of session for the church.
The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1852 and it was dedicated in 1858. Timber and siding came from the Double Trouble saw mill in Berkeley. The land was donated by Edward and Sarah Allen and George and Lydia Cornelius, the same couples who donated the land in 1850 for the Ocean County Courthouse across the street. The architectural plans are slightly altered from another church in Princeton.
Each of the windows has its own theme. On the north side, there is The Water of Life, The Light of the World, The Giver of Spirit, Christ is King, and I Am the Door. On the south side, there is The Prince of Peace, The Divine Teacher, The True Vine, The Great Physician, The Bread of Life, and The Son of Man.
The Presbyterians used it from the 1850s until the early 1970s when their numbers grew beyond the small building. The new church was dedicated in 1970 and stands at the corner of Chestnut Street and Hooper Avenue.
Soon after, a drug rehabilitation program named PHOTOGRAPH used the property until a sale was completed. The YMCA used the old manse on the property for three months. A coffee house, a Christian-centered ministry to youth, and other uses took place there.
The town purchased it, and then in 1981, the Old Presbyterian Church became part of the Ocean County Library and was used as a 150-person meeting room.
In 1990, the steeple was struck by lightning, leaving an open gash almost 6 feet by 3 feet. In 2005, the steeple was torn down after it was learned that it was damaged by termites and might be dangerous. The steeple that’s there now was installed in 2007.
The chimes from the original steeple were recorded. If you hear the bell tolling, it’s actually the recording of the original bell. That bell has been moved to a new location.
In May of 2007, Dunkin’ Donuts opened in that facility through a contract with the State Commission of the Blind and Visually Impaired. It closed in March of 2020.
