Jan. 21 (UPI) — Rocker Jon Bon Jovi’s New Jersey restaurant, Soul Kitchen, opened Monday — a U.S. holiday honoring slain civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. — to provide meals for furloughed federal workers and their families.
The free lunch is being co-sponsored by the Murphy Family Foundation.
The Asbury Park Press said Bon Jovi’s wife, Dorothea Bongiovi, and Tammy Murphy, the wife of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, were expected to work at the event.
“In line with our mission, federal workers are encouraged to join us for a delicious meal and to learn about additional support and resources available in our community,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post during the weekend.
The restaurant is described as a non-profit, community restaurant where people can either pay for their food or volunteer to work in exchange for free meals for up to four family members.
Thousands of workers have been furloughed since Dec. 21 over an impasse between President Donald Trump and members of Congress over funding a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Republican president made a televised proposal to end the shutdown Saturday, offering to extend protections from deportation to some immigrants, including Dreamers, in exchange for $5.7 billion for a barrier along the border.
Democrats turned down the deal, saying they wanted to reopen the government before negotiating a deal on border security.
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