EXTRA! Jon Bon Jovi

CBS Sunday morning podcast is sponsored by Edward Joe college tours with your oldest daughter updating the kitchen to the appropriate decade retiring on the coast. Life is full of moments that matter and Edward Joe's helps you make the most of them. That's why every Edward Jones financial advisor works with you to build personalized strategies for now and down the road so when your next moment arrives bigger small, you're ready for it. Life is for living.

Let's partner for all of it. Learn more@edwardjones.com hi Jane Polian this is our Sunday morning extra podcast featuring a memorable story from our latest conversation, offering insight beyond the broadcast.

So John Bon Jovi you already know him as 130), you may not know is that New Jersey born John Bon Jovi is also the man behind Jay.

BJ sold kitchen nonprofit pay what you can restaurant he founded with his wife, Dorothea.

It's a project they took on together a response to the hunger issue to run a special appetizer tonight. One gourmet meal at a time. Tracy Smith got up with the Bon Jovi's at the restaurant in Red Bank, New Jersey. So how did you share this idea with your husband this idea and you said it was genius, where form the foundation for building houses in 2008 with the financial downturn, tax credits and opportunities were starting to dry up, but we have built hundreds of units of housing at the point and that's when versus what this TV show and stream of consciousness. It is what it should be. Next we need to see the people in those houses years old had the vision. An important part of this is dignity that you earn what you eat here. Westling, you have you, everyone can participate in some way everyone can part of it and we just tried it, you have to volunteer you don't have to. But people want they want to feel like I I too can contribute in some way I have. I value.

I am so talented I can share and people are, they feel better when they can do that is dignity and pride and participation, you must feel as though you're missing out on something if you don't participate here so we ask you to and nobody says no you earned your meal and that certificate could feed your whole family just coming in embossing the table working in the gardens washing addiction theory was if you came in and gave us two dollars for your meal. We don't learn your story as you volunteer with us and become part of our community. The onion unfolds as I say we learn about what are the barriers that maybe keeping you from getting your own home or finding a job or so that that was always the part of creating a space where people can feel safe to come in and share their journey to learn about this. Well, we kind of already knew working through the affordable housing is that it's not what people think it hunger doesn't look like what your mind's eye I might imagine, it's the people at your church. It's the kids and go to school with your kids and I think that was eye-opening for a lot of the community here that said oh there's no homeless people here and they look around the restaurant and I say I can name five people right now that I know are homeless in this restaurant right now but they don't look like what you think.

It's not the stereotype that you're expecting to see his or her word or people who had a hard time making ends meet again going back to the time we started this with the economic downturn. Those of people would have had jobs for long. Time and I will put back into joblessness and that could lead to having to choose between prescription medicine and food, and losing your job and/or losing your house because people with paycheck to paycheck suffer a lot of this population. It's a choice between paying a bill and feeding my family. It's more than this population. America's population you think about what it would with the entry barriers for people that are in need $20,000 family living in poverty. To qualify for any kind of service is like maybe 24, $28,000. The actual cost of living in our community is $76,000 for family of four and those of people who don't go on occasion don't you just getting by and $76,000 and you found that people are looking for a handout. One to work. They want the people who come here are community. I have yet to find someone who suffer everybody and I think soup kitchens do is find service and are our model is just different that we want people to participate. When we have found that most people like it and they feel if they want to show up and do what they would do it at and they feel it gives them boundaries and responsibilities that maybe people don't expect them to be able to rise to, but they rise to the occasion. A big part of this is community tables are big here and you sit people next to strangers why other people stories you know if chances are I'll be a bad example but the example if I were to go to a restaurant there to see me at a table and then you know I will have the opportunity to have met Mr. Smith who may be coming in here as a guest. But in this situation. When Mr. Smith and I meet you find that your mind was conditioned in a way that it needn't be Mr. Smith had a great job at one point he is education. At one point he had a family will point so you talking and you realize in all these commonalities and you will you be surprised by how many times people have met and worked together as a result, you are used to do this really will I do this in the get together and have things happen and we we've witnessed it for years. We call it the field of dreams affect the field of dreams affect when you mean build it and they will comment.

Eventually, they'll inevitably someone will be sitting at dinner and I'm having a problem with my bank I worked at the bank right over dinner some situation gets worked out and that happens. More times than I could you find the people resistant to that at first people chosen people. Like I said is not for everybody. I can always tell when the wife is drag husband because he's not too happy sitting there, but then by the end everyone tugging there outside their exchanging phone numbers and they made unbelievable friendships.

There was a sense here in the community that there wasn't a need for this. There were those who we invited down.

There were all friends of ours and we had to have a celebrity chef once, and cook them a special meal that they may not of gotten around here in the area just to get them in and explain the model to them and and several of them were quite honest about the needs or their understanding of the needs in the community and when we told them the fact several of them just want to throw money at us so we don't need your money. What we needed was you to come and support the restaurant here so it took a while to have the model become comfortable for everyone and anyone here in the community. Now 10 years in is 50-50. Those who pay money and those who volunteer the messages spread. You are here, you know, the messages spread what Dorothea created was unique and is now hers and its hours and it it belongs everywhere course. But it was created right here and we always believed it would be if the community supported a model like this that we believe it was sustainable because people can affect change directly in our you give money out at Thanksgiving and Christmas to a number of charities and you feel good doing it for you sometimes don't know where the money went.

You know, if you want to affect change. Leave a donation at the soul kitchen just for that guy right over there now and and that's the kind of example that was reset for a decade.

The next place is Rutgers University why a college campus. Well we that doing the local community colleges here.

They had come to us and they were saying that they were experiencing a lot of student hunger and they were finding the kids. They started the pantry and it was very well received. We were contacted by a food service provider who works on eating college campuses and they came to us and they said no. Would you be interested in doing a soul kitchen model on college campuses and absolutely no we are also where the need, food insecurity, psychologist give you little anecdotal sort that said Once upon a time we had a bring in locals and explain this model to Took a lot of enticing you know what a celebrity chef and explain.

10 years later he realized there is a need and there are people that will come in support who knew 10 years on we would have a situation where kids at colleges or for food insecure. So again, educating those who are shocked and in its you dismayed by this and that are having this model that's proven to go on this college campus and hopefully all 18 of these college will help that so that model is replicable, nationwide, for when you send your kids off to school. You don't think about after tuition, books, living what's left for food. You know, and in so few were on meal plans to begin with, and that's another reason why the reenrollment noodles will think it's the right of passage to sit and study hard and easy Ramen noodles out but if it's the only thing you can afford. When were building houses there like all good job when we built the kitchens people are like this make people's heads. You know they were there were so surprised, excited wanted to give you no money will participate. Then we went back and said kids at college your kids that you're paying all that tuition for colleges or hungry there. Joseph dropped today. Can you believe we've seen it in a weird color to kids going to college one about to go nurturing so we seen this we know this. We know the story friends. They would be saying is hungry during the day so your kids new kids on the other students in college I were struggling motivates you guys to do this. I think there's a saying, to whom much is given much is expected. And I think that we really were grateful for the life that we have an we don't take it for granted and I think we also came from humble roots and we know what it's like to work hard and we see our friends and let work just as hard, but maybe don't get to have amazing lives like like we have. So that's how I feel. I feel like you know I just try to get back whenever you can and what empty empty any anyone can in whatever way that you can't just be kind to people who doesn't have to be that we had the luxury of being able to do something like this but anybody can do whatever they can. Same thing about you, what motivates you to do this. I feel blessed. Obviously we we we also think that we had a good idea because there was this for me.

The motivation is is just I don't know why I just feel like that we have the ability to make the world just that much better. Why would it's the question should be asked why my doing this interview. I don't like doing. I knew I can't think what because we want somebody watching this to do this. That's all. And I don't mean just the restaurant and we find something that moves you and do it you know we we don't we just force and this will make you feel good. Do something that makes you feel that that's really what I'm trying I like the people.

If you're feeling good that makes you feel that you guys have been a team for how many years now, 40 almost 40 what you think it is about the two of you that works there as it always that's a whole move. I think just probably growing up in the same area with the same values yeah but nobody's I mean it. You know everybody's world is round house is and we just support each other to the day immensely. It's we it's not me it's some birth it's it's we and that that's always been just we comes easy when you look at what Dorothy is done when you think so proud of the static… This was her idea. She took the roots of the foundation had an interest exploded them in the reception to this when we're building houses and this was my own money and some government grants and did I would play private shows up with the money and we have donations maybe from some of the fan base was primarily I get a lot out of voice board at avoid million dollars and this woman really out of work when we came over this. Anyone and everyone would come up to I want to build on. I want I want and this was that eye-popping moment this is going to be her legacy is going to be her her woolly bully called Eunice Shriver went with Mr. Schreiber who we both adored start of the Special Olympics. You know, her legacy will be felt for generations to come until there is a this is for you is truth is truth doing something special when you say that your changing lives.

Can you can you see it now. How do you see it.

Just talk about that a little bit. Well, without telling a lot of details you know you can have people who come in and maybe aren't feeling so well and you know maybe I'm feeling great about their lives and don't want to go on and are safe feel safe enough to share that story and then with all our resources, we connect them to other resources and save someone's life jobs roof over their head, medical care sensitive community because they come back and tell someone about it.

We witness that many many times Appenzell does that feel good or do you feel like there's so much more much more how I feel but you have to realize that you're touching somebody there's a ripple effect you and in their toe telling somebody who may be touched and on again Nero goes back to what are we doing this. That's what is that ripple. Also, knowing that there touching lives here every day and then in toms River every day now going to be at work.

It will be rippling bigger and farther and faster. I think we are making a difference in true Barry mar all my goodness, I want to tell you about our new shout to Disney's podcast and into each episode mean a weekly gas that can cover all the quirky find inspiring and informative stories that exist on the ball because well and maybe you do to from the newest interior design trend Barbie car to the right and wrong way to wash her armpit also working to get in the things that you just kind of wall poorly and were not able to do in daytime television.

So watch out. Tristan is ever you get your podcast. It's a good news on the got