MESH – We’re Back!

MESHMESH started officially on Tuesday, October 5. For the time being, we will be preparing take-away meals for 20 people using simplified menus and a centralized drop off for food at the Salvation Army on Trinity Place in Montclair. The process will be different from our fondly remembered in house Carol Starr MESH Cafe. However, our guests will still be receiving a hearty, nutritious meal prepared with care and consideration

Lynne and Aileen did a trial run on Tuesday, October 5 to make sure that basic cooking utensils are readily accessible and that commonly used seasonings are in stock. The hearty meal consisted of macaroni and cheese, roasted broccoli, three bean salad, hard roll, apple, chocolate chip cookie, breakfast bar and 8 oz water bottle. We included the necessary containers, bags, plasticware, condiments, salt and pepper packets.

Please have a look at the new guidelines and let us know how you would like to help.
New MESH guidelines
The Grab & Go Meal will consist of the following components:
  • Main Dish (Frozen Fish Sticks/Filets, Meatloaf/Meatballs, Macaroni &Cheese, Vegetable Lasagna/Eggplant Parmesan, Chicken Baked/Roasted-not too saucy, Hearty Sandwich- Turkey, Tuna, Grilled Chicken)
  • Side- Salad/Vegetable/Grain
  • Bread/Roll (If Main is not a sandwich)
  • Dessert- Cookie/Cake/Brownie
  • Fruit-Apple/Orange/Banana/Individual Fruit Cup or pudding
  • Snack- crackers/ breakfast bars
  • 8 oz water bottle (available at Shomrei)

Volunteers can sign up to provide any or all of the meal components by either preparing or purchasing. For example, one volunteer could provide the Meatballs or Sandwich, or Chicken. Another could provide a Salad or Vegetable or Rice. Someone else could make or buy Cookies or purchase Apples or Bananas. Or one volunteer could do the entire meal.

Items prepared at home and brought into the Shomrei building for packing must be prepared using certified kosher ingredients and must be portioned in sealed containers or ziplock bags. (Including bread and baked goods which should be individually wrapped in ziplock bags or foil sheets.)

PLEASE NOTE: If a volunteer or a team of volunteers wants to provide and prepare the entire meal, outside Shomrei including packing the bags and delivering to the Salvation Army by 4 pm on Tuesdays, all items must be kosher style (no pork, shellfish or mixture of milk and meat). However, Kosher certification is not required if the meals do not come into the Shomrei building.

Shomrei will provide napkins, utensils, food containers, baggies, foil sheets, and bags to transport individual dinners. If the cook is preparing the entire meal at home and delivering it, she/he will need to pick up supplies at Shomrei or we will bring it to you if necessary.

YOU MUST SIGN UP TO PARTICIPATE. If PREPARING/HELPING IN THE SHOMREI KITCHEN, NO WALK-INS ALLOWED; NO CHILDREN ALLOWED AT THIS TIME.

YOU MUST BE MASKED AND GLOVED, AS WELL AS FULLY VACCINATED TO WORK IN THE SHOMREI KITCHEN.

To allow social distancing, a limited number of people will be allowed in the kitchen. Our first concern is the mitzvah of taking care of oneself.

Please sign up by Sunday evening so that the coordinators can trouble shoot , if necessary.

We are looking forward to a different -but satisfying- MESH experience.

We know these guidelines are a lot to absorb so please contact Lynne or Aileen and we can answer any questions you might have:

Lynne Kurzweil (email hidden; JavaScript is required, 201-341-6866
Aileen Grossberg (email hidden; JavaScript is required), 862-202-0227
MESH SignUp,  shomrei.org/mesh

Latest posts by Aileen Grossberg (see all)

What do you think?