Westfield United By Light Raises $20K For Mental Health Programs

WESTFIELD, NJ — Westfield United Fund's luminary event this past November was a success, raising $20,000 for five local social service agencies providing mental health programs and services to residents of Westfield and surrounding communities.

Candlelight luminaries lined the streets of Westfield over Thanksgiving weekend, and nearly 1,000 residents participated in the fundraising event by purchasing luminary candle kits.

Read more: 'Shine A Light': Westfield To Be Lit Up In Honor Of Mental Health

Westfield United Fund led the planning and organization of the event
which returned after a one-year hiatus in 2021. Volunteers from Westfield High School along with a group of WHS alumni assembled and distributed kits to residents in advance of the event.

"We are thrilled with the response of the local community to this event and the opportunity to show our support for people in need of mental health services," said Deirdre Gelinne, Westfield United Fund Executive Director. "We are fortunate to have a number of agency partners serving people in need of assistance in our community and we are proud to be able to support their work with funds raised through Westfield United by Light."

The $20,000 raised from the event has been equally distributed among five local agencies whose programs serve the mental healthy needs of the community.

These five agencies include: Caring Contact (suicide prevention hotline), Imagine (grief support for children and families), Jewish Family Service (non-denominational counseling for children and family), Youth & Family Counseling (outpatient mental health counseling), and YWCA Union County (supporting teens impacted by domestic violence).

The Westfield United Fund also has an annual fundraising campaign goal of raising $500,000. To learn more about the campaign and to make a donation visit the Fund’s website at www.westfieldunitedfund.org.

The non-profit organization provides funding to more than 20 local human care agencies and programs and has distributed more than $30 million to the community though its partner agencies over the past 80 years.