01/31/2026
After the applause settled, public comment began. “I live very well on Green Island,” said a man named Peter. He said he visited the JBJ Soul Kitchen Pop-Up for lunch and was struck by how guests were treated. He said he sat with two people who were homeless and described the staff as respectful and welcoming to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.
A woman named Phyllis had on a purple shirt that resembled the ones worn by Ocean County National Organization of Women representatives who had come to advocate on behalf of those in need. “If you look at me, I don’t look homeless, I don’t smell homeless,” she said. “I will not have you give me that stigma.”
Phyllis praised the people from JBJ for opening their doors and said without the welcoming nature and people who pay it forward, she would be starving.
“From the very beginning, this Pop-Up was about responding to a real and growing need in downtown Toms River,” said Rob Wood, assistant general manager of JBJ Soul Kitchen. “The library staff, our partners and community members showed up and advocated for our guests. This extension is a direct result of that collective effort.”
❤️📚 Two meetings. One community.
A unanimous vote keeps the JBJ Soul Kitchen Pop-Up open at the Ocean County Library in Toms River — at least for now. Humanity won this round.
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