85 years of caring ... and counting!
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1938 - Originated as the United Campaign of the Westfield Social Agencies.
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1957 - Incorporated as the United Fund of Westfield after a townwide survey was conducted by Mayor H. Emerson Thomas.
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1973 - Moved into our Westfield train station office location from the Municipal Building.
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1975 - Linda Maggio became our Executive Director.
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1975 - Formally affiliated with The United Way of America.
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1975 - Established thermometer outside our offices to provide visual notice of our campaign's progress.
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1999 - Initiated a periodic survey to identify the needs of town residents.
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1999 - Established a daily transportation program for senior Westfield residents, in partnership with the American Red Cross and the Town of Westfield.
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2000 - Helped settle refugee families from Kosovo into Westfield, working with the Westfield Caring Community Council.
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2001 - Established the September 11th Committee to provide many levels of support for the families affected by the devastation.
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2009 - Ended our affiliation with The United Way of America and The United Way of Greater Union County, and returned to our roots as the Westfield United Fund.
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2010 - Started an After School Tutoring Program in partnership with the Westfield Board of Education, providing homework help for children in need at the six elementary schools.
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2012 - Linda Maggio retired, and Deirdre Gelinne became the second Executive Director. After Superstorm Sandy, the Town of Westfield asked the WUF to help raise funds for families whose homes were damaged by the storm.
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2020 - WUF again partnered with the Town of Westfield to lead the We Love Local campaign, raising more than $270,000 to help local businesses affected by the global pandemic.
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2021 - Moved to our current location at 133 Prospect Street.
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2022 - WUF inaugurated Westfield United By Light, a luminary campaign to spotlight the need for mental health resources in our community. The event raised $20,000 which was distributed to several WUF agencies to supplement their funding for mental health programs.
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2023 - Deirdre Gelinne retired, and Beth Saad becomes the third Executive Director.
