Rumson-Fair Haven students who volunteered at JBJ Soul Kitchen on March 16 are (front row, left to right) Linda Wien Murray, Cassie Fallon, and Tori Hyduke, and (back row, left to right) Lauren Grumbach, Becky Unsinn, Michaela Lake, Katie Kane, Christy Jadevaia, Julia Marascio, and Jenna Sandoli.
Press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
Members of the Cooking Club at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School served as volunteers at the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation’s JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank on Wednesday, March 16.
Working with the nonprofit community restaurant’s Front-of-House Manager Dolly Bonilla, the RFH students cleaned off and set tables, as well as organized menus for that evening’s crowd. They were also given a tour of the facility’s garden, which provides fresh organic ingredients for meals, by gardener Robin Grossman. Perhaps most importantly, the students learned more about what the Soul Kitchen really means to the local community.
“Hope is Delicious” is the motto of the Soul Kitchen, which provides healthy, organic, and locally grown food in a restaurant setting. For paying customers, there are no prices on the menu. Instead, they are invited to “pay it forward.” A donation of ten dollars covers the cost of one meal, and anything extra helps defray the cost of someone else’s meal. Nonpaying patrons of the Soul Kitchen can perform volunteer work in exchange for family meals. Those who volunteer in exchange for meals are guided through their tasks by Soul Kitchen staff members, giving them a step up in qualifying for jobs in the restaurant industry.
The Soul Kitchen treats all customers with dignity and respect, while uniting communities and forming healthy and lasting relationships through food.
Volunteerism is very important to the success of Soul Kitchen, and there are opportunities available for those who would like to help out by busing tables, cleaning, stocking items, or serving. More information can be found at the restaurant’s website.
RFH students who volunteered their time were Tori Hyduke, Christy Jadevaia, Katie Kane, Michaela Lake, Julia Marascio, Jenna Sandoli, and Becky Unsinn. They were accompanied by RFH Library Media Specialist Linda Wien Murray and English Teachers Cassie Fallon and Lauren Grumbach, who are the Club’s Co-Advisors.
