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TagsBY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
As his run of success has grown, New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi has never forgotten to give back to his community. This week he contributed to a new homeless shelter for teens and young adults.
Allowing young people to fall through society's cracks "denies all of us their talents and visions," Bon Jovi said, at the opening of the Covenant House Rights of Passage shelter in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.
According to the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation website, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said, “The Rights of Passage Program not only provides a safe place for homeless youth, but also provides skills and experiences needed to become independent and responsible adults.”
The new housing project contains 10 two-bedroom units, and offers a lounge and computer space, an outdoor recreational area, laundry, and offices for program support staff. It can support temporary housing for 20 homeless youths under 21.
The New York Post reported that Bon Jovi’s Foundation contributed to the $3 million complex. Not long ago, Bon Jovi was named to President Obama's White House Council for Community Solutions.
Covenant House has been offering faith-based services to children suffering on the street since 1999. The Rights of Passage Program requires all residents to work for at least 30 hours per week, finish daily chores, participate in life skills classes, complete at least three hours of community service every month, and pay rent.
Additionally, the Asbury Park Press recently reported that Bon Jovi’s Soul Foundation will be opening a community restaurant in Red Bank, upon approval of the site plan.
But it hasn’t all been good news for Jon along the home front. Bon Jovi’s Middletown home was burglarized by a Beachwood man, Nicholas J. Tracy, 21. The Asbury Park Press reports Tracy was charged with burglarizing Bon Jovi's 15-acre estate — assessed at $22.25 million — where he grabbed jewelry belonging to Bon Jovi's wife Dorothea Bongiovi that was valued at $100,000, according to police.
Bon Jovi has been on the record charts for nearly 30 years with hits that include "Livin' on a Prayer" and "It's My Life." They have sold over 100 million records around the world.
