Partnering with MESH

Partnering with MESH

Thank you all for your continued support of our efforts to partner with the amazing folks at MESH (Montclair Emergency Services for the Homeless) in providing a weekly meal to our friends and neighbors in need.  

The SJC volunteer crew is carrying on in our coordination of ready-to-eat bags to supplement the weekly MESH dinner service. 

Here is how you can help in the weeks ahead!

Sign up to be a shopper or a bagger of groceries or email socialjustice@uumontclair.org for a volunteer slot. 

It is very important to remember that only folks who sign-up with us and are confirmed by our coordinating team may shop, deliver, or bag for groceries!  We can NOT receive any unconfirmed grocery donations!

Please be advised:  We can NOT accept any non-scheduled grocery donations or deliveries anywhere on the UUCM property under any circumstances!  To clarify, this means any grocery donations or other packages that are left at the UUCM for this project, no matter how clearly labeled, carefully prepared, or well-meaning in the delivery, will be rejected/discarded for health and safety reasons!  The unscheduled delivery of such items to the UUCM endangers our staff and community members. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in the termination of the project. 

If you wish to donate groceries, we will happily provide you with a pre-approved list of items, and also schedule your drop-off during our once-a-week only drop-off time and location, which is Wednesday at 3:30pm in Fletcher Hall.  Again, please see the required sign-up sheet and one of our coordinators will contact you. All shoppers will be reimbursed (please send receipts to SJC Co-Chair, Teresa DeSousa at socialjustice@uumontclair.org). 

Also, so that all are safe, a reminder that all SJC volunteers who sign-up to shop, deliver or bag, must comply with State, Federal, and Congregational guidelines by wearing a mask, gloves, and practicing social distancing. 

As always, thanks again to the MESH team for their on-going front line work, and for allowing the SJC to help contribute whatever additional support we can in these dire times.