The Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence is once again hosting Sabor Montclair! This tasty fundraiser, on Saturday, Oct. 26, directly supports our work with non-English-speaking students and families in our community.
Sabor Montclair celebrates the unique “sabor” that our Latinx community members bring to Montclair. Families who are part of MFEE’s programming helped design this event, which features delicious takeout meals that highlight their culture and family stories.
Here’s how it works:
Donate and reserve your meal.
On Oct. 26, come to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Montclair at your reserved time, and pick up your dinner.
Volunteers will bring the food to your car, so you don’t need to find parking.
Enjoy a meal at home, prepared by some of your newest Montclair neighbors.
Until recently, these families and students have been navigating Montclair schools on their own. In systems that operate almost exclusively in English, non-English-speaking parents face many barriers to meaningfully engaging and supporting their children. Students face barriers to accessing the education and fundamental resources to which they are entitled.
“MFEE continues to be an incredible partner to the Montclair Public Schools in supporting the growing number of multilingual learners in our District,” said Interim Superintendent Damen Cooper. “They’ve been tireless in their commitment to help families access resources, collaborate with our teachers and staff, and help students achieve their academic potential and social-emotional wellness. What better way to embrace and welcome multiculturalism than with food, a language everyone understands. We look forward to celebrating with the community at this year’s Sabor Montclair.”
In total, MFEE's Navegadores Escolares program has supported over 100 families and 150 children. MFEE runs two bilingual afterschool programs, Oruguitas and Entrenadores Escolares, to provide academic and social support. Additionally, MFEE provides digital literacy classes, a summer math intensive, a teen entrepreneurship program, an empowerment group, and holistically supports families to address health, food, employment, and education needs.
“[MFEE’s] Navegadores are our second family here in this country,” said María Delgado, an MPS parent and one of the chefs cooking for this event. “It is a great blessing and a great opportunity to know that not only are we looking out for them, but that there is also this program that helps our children to have better opportunities. They help us to know that our children are being seen in school and in this new community. They really help give us a sense of belonging.”
Through this event, MFEE seeks to share stories of our community members and raise critical funds. Each plate reserved directly serves this impactful work. Donors will receive a generous tasting platter featuring:
· Hornado con Curtido/Slow Cooked Pork with Salad
· Pupusas de Frijol con Queso/Cornmeal Griddle Cake with Beans and Cheese
· Carne Asada con Gallo Pinto/Grilled Steak with Beans and Rice
· Mexican Cinnamon Cookies
“Food is a way to bring people together and celebrate our shared humanity,” said Masiel Rodriquez-Vars, MFEE’s executive director. “We hope many people will order meals so we can keep working to ensure every Montclair student has a place at the table.”
Reserve now at: https://givebutter.com/sabormontclair2024. Last year’s event sold-out early, so don’t miss your chance to taste delicious food prepared by local chefs from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Mexico.
Sponsorship opportunities are available. We are grateful to our foundation partners – Partners for Health, Schumann Fund for New Jersey, and Montclair Fund for Women – for their support of this ongoing work.
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