United Community Corp. to Give Out Free Candy, Costumes, Food at West Side Park for Family Fall Fest – RLS Media
United Community Corporation brings the spirit of Halloween to Newark’s West Side Park on Saturday, October 30, as it hosts a Family Fall Fest from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. with the help of special guests Dupré “Doitall” Kelly and Big Pill.
UCC will be providing local children with free candy, Halloween costumes – donated by Reverend Paul Gulya – and games at the family-based event.
Additionally, there will be the distribution of free groceries provided by the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and UCC’s Champion House food pantry, resource information offered by UCC and partner agencies, COVID-19 vaccination information thanks to funding by Partners in Health, free pizza donated by Essex County Commissioner At-Large Rufus I. Johnson, and free NJ/NY Gotham FC tickets for N.J. legend Carli Lloyd’s final soccer game courtesy of the Boys and Girls Club of Newark.
“Last year, we lost the opportunity to have Halloween because we were afraid to cross the social distancing lines and restrictions,” UCC Executive Director Craig Mainor said.
“Now, as we seem to be poking our heads through the dark cloud of COVID, it’s important for us as an agency to be there for the community to show them that things are getting better and we can get back to some type of normal.
Children should be able to remain children, and Halloween is a perfect time for a child to do so, and UCC wants to be a part of that positive childhood memory.”
Saturday’s event would not be possible without generous sponsorship from New Jersey Children’s Foundation and Amerigroup.
“It is essential that organizations like the New Jersey Children’s Foundation and United Community Corporation continue to support each other,” NJCF Director of External Affairs Galen Johnson said.
“The outcome of this shared support not only directly enhances the lives of our Newark residents but also illustrates the importance of partnership in building a better community.
At NJCF, we believe that every child deserves access to a high-quality public education. The outcome of this increased access aligns with UCC’s mission to create a community of self-sufficient residents.”
Over 200 costumes were donated for the event by Paul Gulya, who serves as Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus American National Catholic Church in Kearny and is a realtor broker with Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, that will be given out to children at the event.
For over five years, Gulya has been organizing donation drives for costumes to give to families in need within the Newark community through non-profit organizations like UCC.
“I think that people really want to help, and they don’t always know what to give,” Gulya said.
“A few years ago, I had the thought that everybody brings candy. I wanted to do something different, and I thought of costumes. Putting together a costume could be a real hardship for a family. I started six years ago, and it’s grown ever since.”
United Community Corporation also received key support from both The City of Newark and Essex County. Essex County Commissioner At-Large Rufus I. Johnson will be donating candy, games, and pizza to the event, while Newark’s Centers of Hope will have a key presence at the event as well.
The event has been endorsed and supported by The City of Newark, Dupré “Doitall” Kelly and Big Pill.
“Being somebody who was born and raised in Newark’s West Ward, I was somebody that received support from passionate community leaders that put on passionate activities to keep us engaged, nurtured and provided us with opportunities that we may not have been able to receive,” Aid to Commissioner Johnson and local entrepreneur Jessica Johnson said.
“I strongly, strongly feel that it is important to pay it forward, invest in the community and invest in the youth because they are our future.”
The event will be held rain-or-shine with access to the West Side Park Community Center available if conditions will not allow the event to be held outside.
A costume contest will be held with winners receiving tickets to Carli Lloyd’s final soccer game on Sunday, October 31 at Red Bull Arena, courtesy of the Girls & Boys Club of Newark, and free movie tickets to CityPlex. There will also be a haunted hallway for the bravest children in attendance.
Construction is set to begin on the West Side Park Community Center in November, making this United Community Corporation’s final event at the park until construction is complete.
“I’m excited that the community will be getting something new next year (when construction is complete), but this is a little bittersweet for me because I learned a lot about the community while working here,” UCC Director of Youth, Family & Senior Services Yucleidis Melendez said.
“With this being our last event at West Side Park before construction, we wanted to do something really special. We also want the community to know that when we come back, we will be able to do even more great things.”
Melendez and her colleagues at UCC have served over 20-thousand people thus far in 2021 through various youth programming and events at West Side Park.
UCC’s events became a staple for the West Side Park community prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, with UCC providing groceries, hot meals, personal protection equipment, holiday gifts, toys and costumes, and a slew of essential services that directly help low-income families in need.
“When we first got here, part of my team noticed that there weren’t a lot of activities for the community,” Melendez said.
“We wanted to make sure that each month, we were able to bring some type of event to the community at West Side Park. We wanted to bring people together. That was our focus.”
While the Halloween event is more of a “see you later” than a “goodbye”, United Community Corporation wants to make sure it makes the most of its final West Side Park event before construction begins.
“This is a great opportunity for neighbors to come together and have fun with their children,” UCC Director of Programs and Operations Steve Nagel said.