westfield news Archives - Luxury Homes/Top Towns

Westfield Virtual 5k to Feed Frontline Workers

May 15, 2020 by Scott Gleason

Do you remember the Freshman 15 in college? Well, some of us seem to be reliving our college days. They call it the “quarantine 15”. How have you spent your “stay at home” order? Streaming movies and binging on comfort food? Those pounds sneak up fast. Out Run Your Fork wants to motivate you to get some exercise while helping feel our frontline workers. They organized a Westfield Virtual 5k set over Memorial Day weekend. Are you up for the challenge?

Get off the couch and help Out Run Your Fork raise money to feed our local healthcare workers by participating in their first Westfield Virtual 5k.

What: Westfield Virtual 5k
Where: You Set Your Own Course
When: Sunday, May 24th, anytime
Cost: Free registration, $15 donation per person preferred
Contact: Out Run Your Fork (973) 348-9898

Westfield Virtual 5k

Like any other physical 5k, you can run or walk your way through the virtual 5k course. You still must actually physically complete the entire 5k. However, you decide when and where to do it in Westfield on May 24th. Remember to continue practicing social distancing from others as well.

Out Run Your Fork plans on using the money raised from this 5k and other fundraisers they have planned to purchase food from local restaurants to feed our healthcare workers. They sit on the frontline in this battle against COVID-19. Long hours giving aid to the sick usually mean a quick lunch on the go for many. With Out Run’s initiative, they help feed the frontline workers and keep local restaurants in business at the same time.

How to Register

It costs nothing to register for the virtual 5K. But they prefer a $15 donation per person. The goal is to raise at least $10,000 to feed our healthcare workers. So, please be as generous as you can. Visit the Westfield Virtual 5K event website to sign up. Get your entire family off the couch for this fun 5k. Out Run Your Fork plans on giving away a free 28-day personal training program to one lucky person who participates. That could be you. Good luck and thank you.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes

Please like & share:

Westfield Clothing Drive for AGAPE Community Kitchen

May 8, 2020 by Scott Gleason

Expect to see cold, wet weather this weekend. It might not be the best time for yard work or projects to boost your curb appeal. But, forget the binge-watching for a moment. Instead, tackle some spring cleaning chores by clearing out your closet. Then, bag up your stuff for our local Presbyterian Church’s Westfield Clothing Drive. Money raised from the sale of donated items benefits the church’s AGAPE Community Kitchen program.

Do some spring cleaning at your house this weekend and help those less fortunate by donating your gently used clothing, linens, stuffed animals, and accessories to the Westfield Clothing Drive for AGAPE Community Kitchen on May 17th-20th, 2020.

What: Westfield Clothing Drive
Where: Presbyterian Church in Westfield (140 Mountain Ave)
When: May 17th to 21st
Contact: Janet Smith, Event Coordinator via email

Westfield Clothing Drive

Towards the end of March, the Presbyterian Church in Westfield followed the same protocols put in place for restaurants. They suspended their weekly Wednesday dinner program due to public health concerns from COVID-19. As of the writing of this post, the kitchen remains closed. However, when officials OK their reopening, they plan on firing up the grill and serving hot meals again.

To get ready for their reopening, they are hosting a clothing drive. What do clothes have to do with feeding hungry people? The money raised from the sale of your donated items helps the kitchen purchase food to feed these hungry people. All you have to do is bag up your gently used clothing, bedding, pillows, towels, shoes, curtains, ties, belts, and even stuffed animals that your children outgrew or don’t use anymore. Bring these bags down to the church between March 17th and 21st. Toss them into the white van with the church’s name on the side located in the parking lot. Volunteers handle the rest. Practice safe social distancing while helping your less fortunate neighbors.

AGAPE Community Kitchen

The Presbyterian Church in Westfield’s AGAPE program actually takes place in nearby Elizabeth. Volunteers meet every Wednesday afternoon in the Westfield church’s parking at 3:15 pm. The church’s van shuttles these wonderful volunteers to the kitchen in Elizabeth where they prepare a delicious hot meal for dinner guests. They end up back in Westfield around 7:30 pm every week. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact the church. Students in grades 6-12 may also sign up to volunteer.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes

Please like & share:

Westfield Conservation Center Opens…With Limitations

April 17, 2020 by Scott Gleason

Are you practicing good social distancing techniques? With many of us spending more and more time at home lately, we seem to find the time now to tackle those projects around that house that we put off for so long. Maybe you attempted to increase your curb appeal. Or you used your time to do some spring cleaning. In either case, your trash cans might be overflowing at the moment. If you need to bring trash to the dump, you’re in luck. The Westfield Conservation Center recently opened back up to the public. However, for now, they only accept trash on Thursdays and Fridays.

Have you been using your free time to tackle your spring cleaning or completing home improvement projects? You can now bring your trash from these efforts to the Westfield Conservation Center.

Westfield Conservation Center

The City recognizes a need for the conservation center to open back up. But they also want to keep their workers safe by practicing social distancing. To do so, they must stagger their shifts. Yesterday (April 16th), the center opened its doors back up to the public. But people found themselves waiting in long lines to get in. A few hours in, the City suspended their online sales of dumping permits. About an hour before closing, cars thinned out enough to allow online sales to continue.

For the foreseeable future, Westfield Conservation Center hours for residential dumping are restricted to Thursdays and Fridays from 9 am to 2:30 pm. They temporarily put food waste, plastic toys, household bulk waste, and mattress drop-offs on hold. But all other recycling can still be dropped off for free.

How to Get a Permit

With limited staffing in place, you may only buy your annual permit online. It costs $60 for the year. Be aware, however. In times of high volume at the center, the City may temporarily suspend sales of permits online. Just check back later in the day to see if they become available again (like they did on opening day). Once you pay for and print your permit, make sure you keep your paper copy with you to show the staff at the center. For a complete list of acceptable recyclable materials for free drop-off, please visit the Westfield Conservation Center’s website here.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes

Please like & share:

Westfield Food Pantry Drop-Off at YMCA

April 10, 2020 by Scott Gleason

Did you spot any rainbows while out on your daily walk in Westfield lately? It may seem like a little thing, but they certainly raise your spirits when you see them. With unemployment filings in the multi-millions over the last few weeks, we see more and more people struggling just to put food on the table. One way you can help alleviate this strain for those in need is to donate food and other essentials to the Westfield Food Pantry. The Westfield Area YMCA offers a convenient drop-off location for anyone able to help during the pandemic.

The Westfield Area Y continues to offer an easy drop-off location for any food or personal care item donations to the Westfield Food Pantry.

Westfield Food Pantry Drop-Off

The Westfield Area Y always accepted donations for the Westfield Food Pantry. They continue to do so even though they temporarily shut their doors to the public. The Y set up donation drop-off bins in their front vestibule. You may drop off your non-perishable food and personal care items any time between 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday. Westfield Police pick up all donations from these bins regularly and take them to the food pantry themselves.

What They Need

canned goods (soup, beef stew, ravioli, spaghettios, fruit, veggies)
dry pasta
peanut butter
jelly
cereal
personal care items (shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, travel-sized items)

Helping the Westfield Area Y

As you can imagine, shutting their doors has financially hurt our local YMCA. To help reduce the impact this has caused, the Westfield Area Y set up their YMCA Operations Recovery Fund. If you can, please donate today. This will help them continue to provide service to the community when they are able to open back up after we flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic and get back to something resembling a normal life afterward. We will get there as long as we work together right now.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes

Please like & share:

Skating for Smiles in Westfield

February 21, 2020 by Scott Gleason

According to the World Health Organization, cleft lips and palates occur in approximately one out of every 700 children born each year worldwide. The CDC reports 4440 babies born with one or both of these cranial abnormalities in the US each year. Many children retreat from the world to avoid the constant stares or bullying they receive from other kids. They become self-conscious and reserved. Why deprive them of sharing a beautiful smile with the world? Operation Smile can help. And so can you. Just come to the Skating for Smiles event in Westfield on Leap Day. Your donation helps bring a smile back to a deserving child and changes their lives for the better.

Help Operation Smile in their efforts to restore a beautiful smile to children's faces all over the world at the Skating for Smiles event in Westfield on February 29th at the Westfield Rink.

What: Skating for Smiles
Where: Westfield Rink (650 4th Ave)
When: Saturday, February 29th, 5:50 pm to 7:20 pm
Admission: $24 for skaters, free for non-skaters

Skating for Smiles in Westfield

Some local children hooked up with Operation Smile to put on a fun fundraiser right here in Westfield. They even managed to wrangle a meet and greet with former NJ Devils Captain Bryce Salvador. (We do love our hockey here in New Jersey.)

Your $24 ticket gets you 90 minutes of ice time, including skate rental. But, if you don’t want to skate, you can still come, watch the skaters, and visit with Bryce Salvador for free. For more information about the event and to sign up for a skate session, visit the Skating for Smiles donation page here. Even if you can’t make it to the event, please feel free to donate what you can. Help them reach their goal of $6000 by February 29th.

Operation Smile

Since 1982, Operation Smile has sent doctors all over the world to perform corrective surgery on children born with cleft lips and/or palates. They do this work absolutely free of charge. This includes going to some of the most impoverished areas of the world. Without the service these doctors provide, many families would never be able to afford to have this procedure done for their child. Please consider donating to this wonderful organization. Whether that is a one-time donation, becoming a monthly donor, creating your own fundraising event or volunteering your time, it’s all well worth your effort. Thank you.

Scott Gleason, CRS at RE/MAX Select, Luxury Homes

Please like & share: