Dorothea And Jon Bon Jovi Open Food Bank At The Clubhouse In East Hampton

To meet the needs of East End families experiencing food insecurity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rocker Jon Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea Hurley Bongiovi opened a food bank at The Clubhouse in East Hampton this week.

Delivery trucks unloaded pallets of nonperishable food at The Clubhouse on Monday so that on Tuesday food pantries could come for food to distribute to local families. The deliveries and distribution will continue as long as there is a need. Dubbed the JBJ Soul Kitchen Food Bank, the temporary food bank is underwritten by the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, and Clubhouse owner Scott Rubenstein has agreed to donate his space throughout summer and into the fall if necessary.

“The pandemic has strained food distribution networks around the country, and after hearing from organizations on the ground about its local impact, the need for a food bank on the East End became clear to us,” Mr. Bon Jovi said in a statement.

“When most people think about the towns of the East End, they don’t necessarily think about hunger, but for many, it is a reality,” Ms. Bongiovi added.

The ball got rolling three weeks ago. The couple contracted with food distributor US Foods and partnered with Island Harvest Food Bank, the leading Long Island hunger-relief organization. They approached Sag Harbor attorney Eddie Burke Jr. about finding a space, and Mr. Burke turned to his friends, the Rubenstein family, who offered The Clubhouse at no charge.

“They try to thank me, but I just keep thanking them for letting me be a part of it,” Mr. Rubenstein said Tuesday. The Clubhouse has bowling lanes, a bar, a restaurant and entertaining spaces, but is currently closed to guests due to COVID-19 social distancing mandates.

The JBJ Soul Kitchen Food Bank plans to provide food for 5,000 individuals monthly and reassess the need at the end of the summer. Making use of The Clubhouse’s kitchen and walk-in refrigerators, the food bank also plans to provide pre-made meals for the homeless population.