West Essex First Aid Squad Taking Donations For ‘Giving Tuesday’

CALDWELLS, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the West Essex First Aid Squad. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. GivingTuesday will kick off the generosity season this year by inspiring people to give back on November 28, 2023, and throughout the year.

The WEFAS joined GivingTuesday because as a self-funded 501(c)3 organization, it operates on the support of the community it serves. Every dollar raised goes directly toward operating expenses, vehicle and equipment purchase and maintenance and the training of over 75 volunteer EMT’s responding to the emergency medical needs of the community. Serving the towns of Caldwell, Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell and West Caldwell, WEFAS responds to nearly 3,000 calls per year. WEFAS does not bill for their services and are a 100% volunteer organization since 1937.

Campaigns such as GivingTuesday bring awareness to the importance of donor support and provide a platform for showcasing how donor gifts impact the organization. Giving to and supporting LOCAL non-profits is more important today than ever; especially those that provide first response emergency life-saving care. When seconds count, WEFAS is there. But they cannot do it alone.

WEFAS’ goals for 2024 are lofty. One of their 4 ambulances will be undergoing a chassis remount mid-year along with the replacement of its stretcher for a cost of $180,000+. A much-needed repair and renovation project on the facility underway and funding for this project is imperative. First-aid supplies and fuel are up significantly as is call volume. In 2023 through the generous giving of resident and business communities, a third portable CPR machine was purchased for $10,000+, several vehicle extrication tools have been updated at a cost of just under $15,000 each, along with new safety helmets used during vehicle extrication. Additionally, the exterior painting of the building and seal coating of the parking lot were completed.

WEFAS Community Outreach Director, Paula Sules says, “As a lifelong resident of the Caldwell’s, awareness of this incredible organization has been present throughout every stage of my life. Whether seeing them at a game responding to or providing stand-by as a youth, in the roadways caring for accident victims, transporting patients’ day and night through town, or needing their services for a sick or injured family member of my own, as an adult. They are a part of the tapestry that makes our community what it is. I knew they were all-volunteer and had the utmost respect for their dedication. And I knew we were fortunate to have them. What I was completely unaware about is that WEFAS is not funded by taxes. That fundraising, special gifts and bequests pay the bills, pays for those 4 ambulances that come to our aid an average of 10 ten times a day. The training, equipment, supplies, sterilization costs, fuel. That the cost of each of those 4 ambulances is upwards of $300,000. And that the maintenance, utilities and upkeep of their facility, equipment and vehicles was covered by donations. So it is my honor as WEFAS’ Community Outreach Director to spread that message throughout the community this GivingTuesday, so that WEFAS can continue to provide the life-saving care and transport that we, as a community have come to rely upon.”

GivingTuesday was launched in 2012 as a simple idea: to create a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past ten years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Those who are interested in supporting West Essex First Aid Squad’s GivingTuesday initiative can visit westessexfas.org. or VENMO using @WEFAS (West Essex First Aid Squad, Inc.). For more details about WEFAS, visit their website or Facebook page and look for the Fall Fund Drive mailer arriving by mail over the next few days.

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