Lattes are a Lifeline for Montclair Ambulance Unit as Emergency Services Face Growing Strain

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair’s only dedicated ambulance service is asking residents to make a small sacrifice that could have a lifesaving impact: donate the cost of one latte to help keep emergency medical services running for the community.

It is the service everyone hopes they will never need — even the Montclair Ambulance Unit (MAU) hopes residents won’t ever have to call them. But for nearly 75 years, the nonprofit organization has been a critical lifeline, responding when accidents happen, medical emergencies strike, and every second matters.

Through its new “Ambulances Cost A Latte” campaign, MAU aims to make the connection between individual donations and day-to-day operations — showing how even modest contributions can make a meaningful difference and help ensure ambulances remain equipped, staffed, and ready to answer the next emergency call.

According to organizers, if every one of Montclair’s approximately 40,000 residents donated the cost of just one latte, MAU would raise enough money to cover all medical supplies and equipment, ambulance maintenance and repairs, staff training and continuing education, and employee health insurance for an entire year.

If each resident contributed the equivalent of three lattes, MAU would raise approximately $1 million — enough to purchase one fully stocked ambulance and provide around-the-clock professional staffing for that vehicle for a full year.

Sacrificing a cup of coffee would make a tremendous difference for our organization and the community we serve,” said MAU Chief James Mazza. “Every dollar donated has a direct impact on our ability to keep ambulances on the road and respond when someone needs us.”

Call of the Siren

MAU is operating amid a structural crisis facing New Jersey’s emergency response system, marked by lagging response times, an aging responder population, and a sharp decline in volunteerism.

In response, state lawmakers are advancing legislation that would require all New Jersey municipalities to treat basic emergency medical services as an essential function, similar to police and fire departments. However, MAU currently is not a municipal department and receives no direct funding from local tax dollars.

The township provides some in-kind assistance, including the use of a former firehouse on Walnut Street, but the vast majority of MAU’s funding must be raised independently through tax-deductible donations.

An independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MAU relies on patient billing, grants, donations, and fundraisers like this one to support an annual operating budget of more than $2 million. Those funds cover the costs of vehicles, repairs, maintenance, staffing, and equipment.

As the area’s primary 911 emergency medical services provider, MAU’s over 70 paid career EMTs respond to Montclair’s most urgent moments — more than 5,500 calls each year, ranging from fires and accidents to illnesses and other life-threatening situations. In addition to serving Montclair, the organization also provides mutual aid to neighboring communities, including daytime coverage in Cedar Grove.

Most people never expect to need an ambulance until the moment they do. MAU is asking residents to think of their morning latte as an investment in the responders who may one day arrive at the door of a friend, neighbor, or family member. Because when a medical emergency strikes, it is too late to wonder whether the ambulance will come — the community’s investment has to be there before the sirens sound.

To support the campaign, contributions can be made online at https://givebutter.com/2026-support-for-montclair-ambulance-unit-copy-oowhrd or by check mailed to Montclair Ambulance Unit at 95 Walnut Street, Montclair, NJ 07042.