One Table, 23 Cities: Unity Table Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month at The Highlawn

WEST ORANGE, N.J. — September 28, 2026 — On September 24, guests from 23 cities across seven New Jersey counties and New York City came together at The Highlawn for Todos a la Mesa (“Everyone to the Table”), Unity Table’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

The gathering brought elected officials, artists, business owners, nonprofit leaders, and neighbors into the same room. For Unity Table, that mix of people was the point: its mission is to create space for different voices to meet and find shared solutions.

“We want to make sure that we’re all here to serve and that we give back,” said Unity Table founder J. Wayman Henry III in his opening remarks.

Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15 to October 15, recognizes the histories and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. At Todos a la Mesa, the celebration also carried a call to make room for those communities’ voices in civic and community life.

“Our differences are not what divide us. They are what make us stronger,” said Rita Duran, Executive Director of Unity Table. “When we come together from every background, we stop being strangers and start becoming neighbors, partners, and advocates for one another. Todos a la Mesa is about building a community where everyone has a seat, everyone has a voice, and no one has to stand alone.”

Orange Mayor Dwayne D. Warren, Esq., led introductions and recognized leaders in attendance, including Senate Majority Leader M. Teresa Ruiz; Assemblywomen Alixon Collazos-Gill, Carmen Theresa Morales, and Eliana Pintor Marin; Essex County Board of Commissioners President Carlos M. Pomares; Essex County Sheriff Amir D. Jones; and Dr. Saudi Garcia.

Unity Table presented Assemblywoman Collazos-Gill with its Community Leadership Award for Dedicated Community Leadership. Senator Ruiz received the Legacy Award for Trailblazing Public Service.

“If we’re not all at the table, we become part of the menu,” Ruiz told the gathering. She urged guests to support one another, particularly when someone is the only person in a room representing their community.

After the program, guests continued connecting over refreshments and music by DJ Skelly. The evening also included a silent auction. Oren Schneider won The King of Pop, a framed Ghanaian silk-thread artwork donated by New Jersey Arts World of Union, New Jersey.

Unity Table thanks its leading sponsor, CareWell Health Medical Center, and host venue, The Highlawn. It also recognizes On Collab, New Jersey Consulting Solutions, Brivado Cigars, Little Box of Love, Fulmore Foundation, Double Cross Vodka, New Jersey Arts World, Sheriff Amir D. Jones and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, DJ Skelly, photographer Jimmy Records, and videographer T. Hudson.

Unity Table is a nonpartisan program of Little Box of Love, an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Learn more at unitytable.org.