WOODCLIFF LAKE—Meals on Wheels North Jersey has proudly served the greater Pascack Valley area for over 50 years. Delivering nutritious meals and a friendly well-check has been the focus of their mission since 1972.
Last year, the non-profit experienced a significant decrease in the amount of donations that are required to keep the organization intact and able to continue its mission. The rising cost of food however, has become crippling, a reality that has caused Executive Director Jeanne Martin to have to consider the unthinkable.
“Our heart is with the over 200 clients that we serve,” said Martin who has been at the helm of Meals on Wheels North Jersey for 20 years, “but without substantial donations to off-set the cost of meals and operations, we might not be able to continue.”
She said, “Northern Bergen County is home to so many corporate headquarters and long-standing businesses who have rallied around us in the past, we hope they will come through for us again.”
A fundraising game plan will commence on Feb. 10 with their “Art of the Tea Time” event that will be led by Chef Nydia Ekstrom and held at 2 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church, at 32 Pascack Road in Woodcliff Lake.
Tickets are $50 each and include a tea party hat.
Ekstrom, born in Argentina, has more than 38 years in the food industry and has done training for the culinary specialists at the White House, VP’s residence, and Camp David. She has 25 years experience with Unilever Food Solutions, four of those years in business development and nine as the corporate chef in the Northeast Division. She also owned her own catering business for 15 years. Ekstrom has been a Meals on Wheels volunteer since 2021 and is lending her talents to the fundraising efforts of Meals on Wheels North Jersey.
For more information on how to support Meals on Wheels North Jersey, call Jeanne Martin at (201) 358-0050. Donations can be made at mealsonwheelsnorthjersey.org and tickets to “Art of the Tea Time” can be purchased at mow-tea-time.cheddarup.com.