Dorothea Bongiovi

Photo Credit: Jamel Toppin/The Forbes Collection

Dorothea Bongiovi has long been committed to helping people in need; she has supported countless non-profit organizations over the years. From homelessness to poverty, hunger, women’s issues, and healthcare, Dorothea is an activist and has worked in her community to make a positive impact.

In 2011, she and her husband, Jon Bon Jovi, opened the JBJ Soul Kitchen, a non-profit community restaurant that serves both in-need and paying customers. It is not a pay-what-you-can model; this unique Pay-it-Forward model allows access to healthy, fresh, locally sourced food in a dignified manner, regardless of economic barriers. In-need patrons may volunteer their time as their donation for their meal and learn marketable job skills, or learn about resources and services available to them. The paying customer is asked to pay for their meal and then pay it forward by covering the cost of the non-paying customer. The mission of the Soul Kitchen is to treat all with dignity and respect while uniting communities and forming lasting relationships through healthy food. They opened a second restaurant in Toms River, NJ, in 2016, and recently opened a JBJ Soul Kitchen on the campus of Rutgers University-Newark to address student food insecurity on college campuses.

Dorothea is a recipient of the NJ and National Jefferson Award for Volunteer Leadership and a 2020 ROBIE Award from the Jackie Robinson Foundation. She is also the recipient of a Silver Stevie Award that recognizes women in leadership roles. Dorothea is the mother of 4 children, Stephanie, Jesse, Jacob, and Romeo.