Homeless People Can Find Overnight Shelter In Montclair This Winter

MONTCLAIR, NJ — When the thermometer drops below freezing this winter, people experiencing homelessness can find a place to keep warm at an “overnight respite” in Montclair.

The sanctuary from the cold is run by nonprofit Montclair Emergency Services for Hope (MESH), which partners with St. Marks United Methodist church at 51 Elm Street to run a free, overnight shelter when temperatures approach 32 degrees or less. When it does, the doors open at 7 p.m. every night, and guests are welcomed to stay until 7 a.m. the next morning.

This year’s sheltering effort launched in December and will run until March 31.

MESH also feeds warm dinner meals six nights per week, Monday to Saturday, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at The Office Restaurant, 619 Bloomfield Avenue. Guests can grab a meal in the evenings, then go over for a place to shelter on Elm Street.

MESH has been a force in the Montclair community for years. Here’s a quick background about their mission, according to its website:

“Montclair Emergency Services for Hope is a local, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing basic and essential services to Montclair’s most vulnerable homeless adults and families. MESH partners with local churches, synagogues and other community members to provide a nutritious evening meal, six days a week, to the underserved adults and families in Montclair, NJ, in addition to providing overnight respite during extreme weather.”

MESH board president Albie Monterrosa said the group is able to provide shelter with the help of grants and donations from many sources in the local community.

“I love that we get to partner with other houses of worship and town officials to make this happen for our most vulnerable community,” Monterrosa said. “It takes all of us working together to make this happen.”

In January, the Montclair Town Council voted unanimously to enter into a contract with MESH to partially underwrite official services for the homeless, paying the organization $17,500 for 2023. And recently, a fundraising campaign spearheaded by Councilman Peter Yacobellis raised more than $5,000 to fuel the nonprofit’s efforts.

“We've all seen unhoused individuals around town, at Lackawanna Plaza, on South Park Street and other places,” Yacobellis said earlier this month.

“As a township we simply don't do enough in terms of social services and I hope we can do more in the future,” Yacobellis said, adding that he’d like to see the town add a “social services coordinator” to its health department.

According to the most recent “point in time count” from Monarch Housing Associates, there were 41 people experiencing homelessness in Montclair on Jan. 25, 2022. Read More: Here's How Many Homeless People Live In Montclair, Report Says

Learn more about MESH or how to make a donation here.

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