West Side Park will be busy over the next week as United Community Corporation hosts a Hispanic Heritage Celebration on Thursday, October 21 and a Survivor's Brunch for Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence survivors on Sunday, October 24.
The Hispanic Heritage Celebration runs from 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. It will feature food trucks, Latino and Hispanic music, a dance contest, a speech from Newark's Deputy Mayor of Community Engagement Jacqueline Quiles, giveaways, services offered by UCC and partners, and free groceries provided by Community FoodBank of New Jersey via UCC's Champion House Food Pantry.
The Hispanic Heritage Celebration is sponsored by Pennoni, New Jersey Children's Foundation, Peapack-Gladstone Bank, and Amerigroup.
"This event is very important because we want to show our community that everyone is involved and that everyone is important," West Side Park office manager Christian Marsette said.
"For us, it was very important to put together an event to honor Hispanic Heritage Month. We want to make sure that everyone knows that they are part of our community and that we are here to support them."
UCC has partnered with the Essex County Department of Health to provide COVID-19 vaccines on-site. The first 25 people to be vaccinated will receive a gift card.
At last month's Health Fair, UCC and the Essex County Department of Health provided 20 people with vaccinations.
Thus far in October, UCC has helped over 100 people get vaccinated in partnership with St. James Health. UCC's outreach efforts are funded by Partners in Health.
"Thanks to Partners in Health, UCC has been able to assemble an outreach team that has been working tirelessly to spread the word about how, where and when people can be vaccinated," UCC Director of Community Engagement Richard Greco said.
"We want to thank our partners, St. James Health and the Essex County Department of Health, because they are the ones on the front lines actually administering the vaccines."
Sunday's Survivor's Brunch will run from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. and was created in partnership with Beauty for Ashes, Girls; Live, Laugh and Love Inc., and Ruby's Vision.
The event is dedicated to Breast Cancer survivors in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month and will also honor Domestic Violence Survivors.
The celebration will feature a delicious brunch donated by Ideal's Diner, a live band, a makeup class session, wigs, photos, a free makeup boutique, and guest speakers - cancer survivor Joyce Bryant, Allison Frison of Girls Live, Laugh and Love Inc., and Minister Valerie Seymoure of Beauty for Ashes. The event will conclude with a documentary.
"One of our partners, Girls; Live, Laugh and Love Inc., and our agency had plans to do some kind of event in the fall," UCC Director of Youth, Family & Senior Services Yucleidis Melendez said.
"We had a lot of ideas but wanted something different, and this was something that we have never done. We wanted to give back to those who battled cancer and domestic violence. The purpose of this event is to show survivors our love, appreciation and support."
Pairing Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence was a crucial component in creating this event because it combined two issues that plague many women throughout the world.
"The Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Survivors Brunch notes two very important experiences; however, as women, we are painstakingly aware of the myriad of issues we may encounter," UCC Grant Compliance Manager Alena Minatee said.
"This is a celebration of not only overcoming those experiences but also women's empowerment through sharing knowledge, experience and resources." 
Anyone interested in volunteering at either event can contact UCC's Volunteer Coordinator Rhonda Benton at Rhonda.benton@uccnewark.org.
For more information about either event, contact info@uccnewark.org.