WEST ALLIS, Wis. — Residents at VMP Healthcare and Community Living will shine a light across West Allis Thursday evening.
The center is hosting its fourth annual "Be a Light" event. Over 1000 decorated luminaries will light up their campus on 84th and Oklahoma in West Allis.
“We wanted to be a light for one another,” Stephanie Astrin, the community outreach liaison at VMP, said. “The spectacle is we’ll have about 1200 luminaries made by staff, residents, school groups, and local businesses.”
In preparation, dozens of residents at the center got to work decorating colorful jars.
“It’ll be just beautiful. It warms my heart to see all of the people getting involved,” Sharon Plucinski, a resident, smiled.
The event started during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A staff member at the center was inspired by the Thomas Rhett and Reba McEntire song, Be a Light, to do just that.
That year, staff and residents made hundreds of luminaries, along with the West Allis Women’s Club and the Police Department.
They lit them all up as a way to spread the light while still gathering safely.
Four years later, the event has grown to include much of the community.
It now includes a food drive drop-off for the Hunger Task Force.
“Hunger in the senior community is real and something we care deeply about. We want to help,” Astrin said.
In 2022, they collected over 700 pounds of cereal and canned fruit. That food goes into Senior Stock Boxes which are delivered by the Hunger Task Force to low-income seniors.
VMP is a nonprofit, senior care provider offering a variety of services like independent living, assisted care, and skilled nursing. They assist over 600 seniors in the area.
“We believe in bringing people together and I believe this event does that,” Astrin said. “When we do stuff locally, we feel it resonates outward.”
The event is October 19 from 4-7 p.m. There will be food vendors, games, and music. Ko Thi Dance Troupe and a jazz guitarist will perform throughout the night.
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