NEWARK, NJ — United Community Corporation and more than 20 partners will celebrate Newark and the greater Essex County community on Saturday, Aug. 14, as UCC hosts a “BBQ for a Cause.” The event will be held at West Side Park, 600 S. 17th St in Newark, from noon to 6 p.m. and is designed to give the community a day filled with fun and resources. The barbecue is sponsored by Commercial District Services LLC and Amerigroup.
“This event being back at the park is one of those instances that shows things may be returning to normal,” UCC Executive Director Craig Mainor said. “It is really important for the community and really important for our agency to be part of this welcoming back to normalcy. Having over 20 different organizations, agencies, stakeholders and municipal leaders involved with this is huge because it shows how many people support our community.”
Community members will receive a ticket for a free hamburger or hot dog as well as a raffle ticket for valuable prizes. Food can also be purchased from the Hit Da Spot food truck, which will be selling empanadas and sides.
There will be carnival-style games with prizes scattered throughout the park, gift basket raffles, music, yoga and Zumba classes. The games will be run by UCC employees and local agency partners. Clothing, jewelry and art vendors will have items for sale, while local service agencies will have informational tables and employment opportunities.
“The barbecue is fun for both young people and adults, but it will also be informative and will provide access to programs and job opportunities on-site,” UCC grant compliance manager Alena Minatee said. “UCC’s BBQ for a Cause is designed to raise awareness and get the different aspects of the community involved.”
UCC graphic designer and multimedia specialist Ashley Grey added: “This barbecue is not only important as a direct connection for our clients to receive information and resources but also gives them the opportunity to unwind after a hectic year of isolation.”
UCC’s Youth, Family & Senior Services Department will be distributing backpacks and school supplies in preparation for the 2021-22 school year. To help UCC provide essential products to local students, donate items from UCC’s wishlist at https://tinyurl.com/pf9b3u4w. Items will be shipped directly to UCC to be put into backpacks. UCC is also accepting school supply donations outside of its wishlist. To contribute, contact Minatee at alena.minatee@uccnewark.org to schedule a pickup or delivery time.
“School is going to be back in session and a lot of parents need supplies in order to send their children back to school,” UCC Director of Youth, Family and Senior Services Yucleidis Melendez said. “Being able to provide those as an agency is really going to help them out. Events like this within the community are so important.”
Additionally, United Community Corporation has partnered with RiteAid, North Star Academy and Uncommon Schools to host a COVID-19 vaccination site inside the West Side Park gym. RiteAid will be providing vaccines. Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment for the vaccine can contact UCC Director of Community Engagement Richard Greco at richard.greco@uccnewark.org. Walk-up appointments will also be accepted.
“In addition to having services on-site to help people battling poverty, it is also very important to make COVID-19 vaccines easily accessible,” Greco said. “With the help of RiteAid, North Star Academy and Uncommon Schools we are able to bring the vaccine straight to the community during our BBQ for a Cause.”
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