Story by Judy O’Gorman Alvarez | Photos by Eduardo Pinzon
RED BANK – In the juxtaposition of wealth and need, Monmouth County is front and center. And the good work and generosity of residents eager to help was evident at the annual Red Bank Day of Hope Community Walk May 3.
Teams from some 30 agencies and nonprofits gathered at JBJ Soul Kitchen to kick off the walk to celebrate the work they all do in the community.
Rabbi Marc Kline of Monmouth Reform Temple and Rev. Terrence Porter of Pilgrim Baptist Church addressed the crowd to remind them of the need. Porter spoke about the important need for the Hope and Comfort Warming Center, a joint project by JBJ Soul Kitchen and Pilgrim Baptist Church, during the cold New Jersey nights. This season, he pointed out, there were 87 Code Blue nights (when the forecast is for a temperature of 32 degrees or lower) and the center provided shelter for 925 guests.
The warming center provides “a place where they can get a shower, wash their clothes and allow us to make a difference in our homeless population,” Porter said. “Instead of seeking shelter under the bridge, they had a safe place.”
Dorothea Bongiovi, of JBJ Soul Kitchen, thanked everyone for their hard work and especially thanked the Mental Health Association of Monmouth County and its Red Bank Resource Center, the Parker Family Health Center and Pilgrim Baptist Church, among others.
Despite the pandemic, JBJ Soul Kitchen continued to offer meals, services and referrals to the various agencies that can help.
She pointed out that there are 362 nonprofits in Red Bank, each with members filled with knowledge and expertise. She encouraged many to continue to help and “not to duplicate but to integrate services.”
The article originally appeared in the May 5 – 11, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
