Bon Jovi Tour Doubles As Homeless Research Mission

Jon Bon Jovi is using his free time in between concerts on Bon Jovi's latest US tour to school himself on homelessness in local communities.

The group is currently promoting their new album The Circle and the singer has been spending his spare time visiting shelters and housing programs to learn more about neighbourhood projects.

The work is all research for Bon Jovi's own charity, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which aims to build affordable housing and set up community kitchens in poor neighbourhoods.

The rocker says, "I've spent the last quarter of a century touring, going from arena-stadium to hotel back to arena-stadium-hotel. This time, because of my foundation's work over the last six years buildingaffordable housing , on my days off and when the opportunity arises... I will go to shelters and try to learn more about the issue and how to combat it."

And Bon Jovi is planning to meet up with Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, whose friendship with homeless and mentally ill music mastermind Nathaniel Ayers inspired 2009 movie The Soloist, for a personal tour when the band performs in California next Thursday (04 March).

Lopez wants to show the singer the city's notoriously rough Skid Row neighbourhood and he's sure the experience will give Bon Jovi a fresh perspective on the issue of homelessness.

He tells the Associated Press, "Skid Row is an eye-opener. I don't know Jon Bon Jovi, but I suspect he may come out of this with a keener sense of how many people are suffering in this economy, and of how many people in Skid Row are dealing with a combination of financial, physical and mental health issues, many of them veterans."

Thanks for the report to Contactmusic.com.

Comments

[aaciseric]

Such a great guy, it's always incredble how much he wants to help people, really hope they come to the UK with this tour.

[Chapz]

He helps people with the money he earns from shows that are way too pricy.

[Anjohl]

It's incredible what he's doing, and I applaud him for it, but a big part of me thinks he could be doing more.

[aaciseric]

Anjohl wrote:

It's incredible what he's doing, and I applaud him for it, but a big part of me thinks he could be doing more.

We could all probably be doing more, he's done a fair amount in the past, he's been involved in loads of projects and given quite a lot of money (I believe he gave a million dollars at one point to a charity), aswell as the fact that the Philedelphia Soul team is totally non-profit, any money they make is instantly given away and the team themselves have helped build local homes in poor neighbourhoods, and he doesn't seem to be stopping. He's like Bono gone right.

[jimmypagejunior]

aaciseric wrote:

Anjohl wrote:

It's incredible what he's doing, and I applaud him for it, but a big part of me thinks he could be doing more.

We could all probably be doing more, he's done a fair amount in the past, he's been involved in loads of projects and given quite a lot of money (I believe he gave a million dollars at one point to a charity), aswell as the fact that the Philedelphia Soul team is totally non-profit, any money they make is instantly given away and the team themselves have helped build local homes in poor neighbourhoods, and he doesn't seem to be stopping. He's like Bono gone right.

Lol at the Bono comment. I do think though that both men are equally honorable but Bono is wayyy more outspoken about it and can bring it in at the wrong times. I applaud Jon on his efforts though

[ThomasOlano]

Jon and Richie have always been great at charity work, even now they're still helping, I think that's something for them to be proud of