Dine In or Take-out at the Coal House, Point Beach, to Help Cancer Concern Center

Buy lunch or take-out dinner at the Coal House and help fund the Cancer Concern Center, a local, all-volunteer organization offering a wide variety of programs to cancer patients.

, 710 Arnold Ave., Point Beach, is donating $1 for all lunches six days a week, whether patrons dine in or take out, to the The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

The restaurant is also donating $1 for all take-out dinners on Tuesdays and Wednesdays until Dec. 16 to the Cancer Concern Center.

Paul Ippolito, an owner of and a Brick resident, has said he decided to support a small charity that truly needed help, as opposed to a national organization not tied to the local community, according to a prepared statement from the Cancer Concern Center.

Co-owner Billy Hoffman, a Point Pleasant native and member of the Bay Head Police Department, immediately recommended the Cancer Concern Center, which serves cancer patients living in the greater Point Pleasant area.

"Hoffman serves on the Board of Directors for the Cancer Concern Center and has been an ardent supporter of the organization for years," the statement says.

Both Ippolito and Anthony Abdy, another co-owner of The Coal House and a Point Beach resident, have experienced cancer in their families.

"As a team, when we thought about a local charity, the Cancer Concern Center came to mind right away," Hoffman shares. "We knew it was the perfect fit for The Coal House.

"The Cancer Concern Center doesn't get any major donations," Hoffman said. "Instead, they string together all the small donations from town and put them toward local programs. Everyone at the Cancer Concern Center lives in the area. They're our neighbors."

"Ever since we opened The Coal House last November," Ippolito explains, "people in the Beach and Borough have been huge supporters. We're so thankful to local residents for their warm welcome and for everything they've given us over the past year.

"In these terrible economic times, we know it's a big deal to go out for lunch or dinner," Ippolito said. "We don't take that for granted at The Coal House. That's why we really wanted to give back to a local charity that impacts the lives of the people who are our devoted customers."

With a core group of volunteers, the Cancer Concern Center offers weekly support groups, meditation and yoga classes, massage and Reiki therapy, nutritional workshops, and new wigs to local residents regardless of their ability to pay.

"Far from an affluent organization, the Cancer Concern Center has no paid staff and minimal overhead, funneling donations into client programs instead of administration," the statement says.

Ever since its founding in 1998, the Cancer Concern Center has been an independent non-profit run by breast cancer survivors: Lori Jeffries of Point Pleasant and Jill McDonough of Lavallette.

"They envisioned a warm and welcoming setting that didn’t feel like a hospital – a convenient place for women and men with cancer to discuss their condition, access resources, receive non-judgmental support, and rejuvenate their spirit," the statement says.

According to volunteer office manager Lisa Montalbano, a Point Pleasant Beach resident, “The Cancer Concern Center is thrilled to be the first beneficiary of 'Coal House Cares.' We look forward to joining our friends and family at The Coal House for lunch and take-out! 

"Every dollar from 'Coal House Cares' will remain in our local community," Montalbano explains. "So many small non-profits have had to shut down over the past few years, due to a drastic decline in donations.

"The Cancer Concern Center will enter its 15th year of service to the Point Pleasant area thanks to the incredible generosity of local supporters like The Coal House," Montalbano said.

The mission of the Cancer Concern Center is to provide emotional support and wellness programs to women and men affected by cancer.

The Cancer Concern Center was the first non-profit to offer support services to adults with cancer in Northern Ocean County.

It is a member of the Ocean Medical Center’s Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. All contributions to the Cancer Concern Center are tax-deductible and utilized for local cancer support programs.

The Coal House is open Tuesday through Sunday. For a menu or additional details, please visit The Coal House or call 732-899-4400.

For more information on the Cancer Concern Center, which is located at 1101 Richmond Avenue in Point Pleasant Beach, please call 732-701-0250 or like the Cancer Concern Center on Facebook.