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MESH Report, May 26, 2026

by Lynne Kurzweil
A happy foursome, including Linda Wieseneck, Leslie Billet, Julie Weinstein and Captain Lynne Kurzweil headed to the Shomrei kitchen on Tuesday afternoon to get the job done.  The meal, which has become a standard, included Dry Rub Roasted Chicken, seasoned roasted potatoes, roasted mixed vegetables, a fresh roll, a juicy orange, Oreo cookies and a water bottle.  We made sure to include a condiment cup of ketchup for dipping.

We prepared and packed 52 meals, which included 4 meals for our vegan/vegetarians, substituting a California Veggie Burger for the chicken and adding a cup of pickle relish.
Lynne delivered the meals to Union Baptist Church, where hungry and appreciative MESH guests helped carry in the heavy bags.  Thanks to all who helped with the effort, including Mustafa and Carlos, who made sure the convection ovens were in good working order and also to our security guard on duty who helped load the bags into Lynne’s trunk.
We have 2 more dates for meal prep until we break for July and August.  (Shomrei funds meals for 2 dates in July and 2 in August.)
The final date is Tuesday 6/23 and you can sign up here www.shomrei.org/mesh
Many thanks to the Carol Starr MESH Fund for underwriting these meals.



About MESH
Shomrei thanks the Carol Starr MESH Fund for helping to underwrite these meals. MESH (Montclair Emergency Services for Hope) is a community-wide cooperative effort between local synagogues and churches.

Volunteer at Shomrei
Shomrei provides 50 meals to MESH on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month. We need volunteers to help prepare and pack the food. For those interested in volunteering who are not available on Tuesday afternoons, we are brainstorming different ways to make it work.  Let us know what would work for you.
signup here

Additionally, each Monday afternoon, we deliver any usable food leftover from Kiddish to MESH.

Volunteer at the (Temporary) MESH Site
Volunteers are also welcome to help serve food 6 nights a week, Monday through Saturday, 4:30-6:30 pm at the MESH site. Due to a burst pipe at the MESH site at 619 Bloomfield Ave, MESH will be meeting temporarily at the Union Baptist Church.
signup here

Monetary Donations
If you can’t help in person, please consider a donation to help fund this important service.
donate here

Questions? Contact Lynne or Aileen:

  • Lynne Kurzweil

    Lynne is a long-time Shomrei Congregant. She is co-chair of Shomrei's MESH Cafe (Montclair Emergency Services for the Homeless) which provides a hot dinner and respite for homeless individuals every Tuesday night. She is a registered dietitian and lives in Montclair with her husband, Lanny.

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