Day of Hope Community Walk Brings Together Selfless Souls

On September 20, 2018, hundreds of goodhearted people, representing dozens of organizations throughout Monmouth County, turned out to celebrate the wonderful work they do by participating in the Second Annual Red Bank Day of Hope Community Walk. The event was organized by the JBJ Soul Foundation and JBJ Soul Kitchen, who extended the invitation to service providers, businesses, houses of worship, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and other citizens who help to promote health, provide services and treatment, offer fellowship, and give support and hope to address the diverse needs of residents in the Red Bank, NJ community and beyond.

The crowd assembled that morning in the garden area in front of JBJ Soul Kitchen, happily greeting one another and chatting to exchange information about the various services they provide and the projects they work with that are near and dear to their hearts. Most of the attendees wore shirts and hats that showed their affiliation, with some groups proudly carrying banners.

Before the walk began, there were inspiring, heartfelt remarks from several different speakers, most notably by Dorothea Bongiovi, co-founder of JBJ Soul Kitchen, who eloquently shared stories about individuals whose lives had been touched and the important impact that is made each day by dedicated volunteers throughout the area.

The walkers then enthusiastically kicked off, heading down Bridge Avenue before turning on Leonard Street, then Shrewsbury Avenue, and finally Monmouth Street, returning to JBJ Soul Kitchen. There, they enjoyed a celebration of light food and beverages before parting ways and continuing their mission of doing good and making a difference in the community.

Groups represented at this year’s Day of Hope Community Walk included:

180 Turning Lives Around
Amanda’s Easel
American Friends Service Committee
Amara Dental
Ammon Labs
Art Alliance
Backpack Crew
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Boys and Girls Club
Brookdale Community College
Community Affairs and Resource Center
Catholic Charities of Trenton
Citizens for a Diverse and Open Society
Collier High School
Collier Youth Services
Count Basie Center for the Arts
CPC Behavioral Healthcare
Discovery Institute
Family Promise of Monmouth County
First Baptist Church of Red Bank
HABcore
Holiday Express
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Greater Red Bank Women’s Initiative
Hope Sheds Light
Horizons
Human Relations Advisory Committee
Jake a Bob’s Bay
Kohl’s
Literacy Volunteers of Monmouth County
Lowe’s
Lunch Break
Mental Health Association of Monmouth County & The Red Bank Resource Network
Monmouth Arts
Monmouth Daycare Center
Monmouth Reform Temple
Ocean Health Initiatives, Inc.
OceanFirst Bank
Parker Family Health Center
Pilgrim Baptist Church
Project Write Now
Red Bank Catholic High School
Red Bank Charter School
Red Bank Public Library
Red Bank Regional High School & The SOURCE
Rumson Country Day School
SCAN
Soldier On
Two River Theater
United Methodist Church
United War Veterans Council
Saint John Vianney Student Athletes & Community Service
Red Bank RiverCenter
JBJ Soul Kitchen Employment & Empowerment Team
JBJ Soul Kitchen Volunteers
Stephy’s Place
Borough of Red Bank
VNACJ Community Health Center
The YMCA