Area women are invited to network, play golf and have some fun all while raising money for those in need in Warren County and the surrounding area at the annual United Way Honey Open Golf Outing on Monday, Sept. 9, at the Farmstead Golf & Country Club, 88 Lawrence Road in Lafayette (Sussex County).

Hosted by United Way Women United, this women’s-only golf outing will raise funds to help put ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) individuals and families on a path to financial stability. Despite working hard, ALICE lives paycheck to paycheck, unable to afford the basics.

The event honors the legacy of tournament founder Helen “Honey” Ackerman, a former Sussex County clerk who believed women and children should have access to resources to build a better life, subsequently helping to build a stronger community.

“Through this event and all our work, we are keeping Honey’s legacy alive,” Women United Director Michele Dreiblatt said. “Women United brings together like-minded women who are passionate about helping our neighbors in need.”

Women United engages members throughout the year in volunteer, fundraising and advocacy efforts to help ALICE and those in poverty throughout the region attain financial stability.

Across the northern New Jersey region, spanning Warren, Morris, Somerset, Suburban Essex, and Sussex counties, a total of 30 percent of households qualify as ALICE or in poverty, according to United Way research.

The golf event raises critical funds for United Way’s work across the region to improve life for ALICE. United Way works to remove the barriers that keep ALICE and those in poverty from reaching their potential. By tackling the underlying causes of financial instability — the lack of a quality education, insufficient income and poor health — United Way seeks to create long-lasting, positive change.   

To participate in the outing and make a difference in the community, women can choose one of two ways to play:

• A one-hour lesson and nine-hole scramble for beginner and intermediate golfers led by LPGA Teaching and Club Professional member Sandra Jaskol
   
• A traditional 18-hole scramble for experienced golfers  
   

The outing will begin with registration at 7 a.m. followed by an 8 a.m. shotgun start for 18-hole golfers. Run by Jaskol, the nine-hole lesson will begin at 9 a.m. The $150 per person registration includes golf, continental breakfast and an awards luncheon. 

To date, event sponsors include Signature Sponsor Selective; Platinum Sponsors Lakeland Bank, Thorlabs; Gold Sponsors Elizabethtown Gas, First Energy/JCP&L; and Silver Sponsors Bentley Assisted Living, Bristol Glen, First Hope Bank and Nisivoccia LLP. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.