United Medical LLC is calling on individuals, businesses and community partners to help YWCA Delaware reach its $1.5 million Resilience Fund goal. With $850,000 raised, the campaign has $650,000 remaining to secure by March 2027 to help protect essential services for women and families across Delaware. The appeal matters because the fund serves as a financial safeguard for services that rely heavily on federal support, and the remaining gap must be closed to prevent a funding crisis.
Kemal Erkan, CEO and founder of United Medical LLC, chairs the fund's Advisory Committee. The push follows YWCA Delaware's October 7th Celebration Breakfast at DuPont Country Club, where the theme “Generation to Generation, Empowering Every Story” highlighted the organization's lasting impact. During the event, Erkan was honored with the Dorothy Height Leadership Award, named for the civil rights icon and longtime YWCA leader Dr. Dorothy Height. The award recognizes Erkan's commitment to advancing equity, human dignity and opportunity, values reflected in his leadership of the Resilience Fund.
“Reaching $850,000 reflects a meaningful commitment from this community, but the remaining $650,000 is critical,” Erkan said. “We have an opportunity to prepare before a funding gap becomes a crisis for the people who depend on these services. Every new donor and every additional commitment brings us closer to that goal.” The Resilience Fund is a one-time special campaign designed to help YWCA Delaware sustain critical services amid uncertainty in nonprofit funding. These include safe housing, 24/7 support for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking, financial counseling, and youth development programming.
Much of YWCA Delaware's housing and crisis intervention work relies on federal support, making a financial safeguard essential to reducing the risk of service disruptions. “For someone seeking safety or a family working to regain stability, reliable support can make all the difference,” said Melissa Gonville, CEO of YWCA Delaware. “The Resilience Fund is about protecting that continuity. We are deeply grateful for the generosity that has brought us this far, and we are asking our community to help ensure that progress is not interrupted by uncertainty in funding.”
Managed by the Delaware Community Foundation, the fund will release resources only with YWCA Board approval when significant funding gaps arise. This structure is intended to help YWCA Delaware sustain services for current clients while preparing to respond to growing community needs. The work the campaign seeks to protect reaches thousands of Delawareans; in 2025, 9,594 individuals participated in YWCA Delaware's programs statewide.
The Celebration Breakfast also introduced The Story Exchange, an interactive experience connecting guests with stories of resilience and the people and partnerships behind YWCA Delaware's work. Honorary co-chairs Gemma Lowery of ChristianaCare and Katherine S. Ward, Executive Director of the Delaware Press Association, helped represent this year's focus on leadership, service and intergenerational impact. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield was a primary sponsor of The Story Exchange. Tim Vessel, Market Segment President of Highmark Delaware and a Resilience Fund Committee member, works with YWCA Delaware leadership to support funding and advocacy for women and families. Other sponsors included Delaware First Health, J.P. Morgan Chase, Pennoni, Barbacane Thornton & Company, Corporation Service Company (CSC), Delaware Community Foundation, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospitals, New Castle County, and TD Bank.
United Medical encourages supporters to help raise the remaining $650,000 through contributions to YWCA Delaware's Resilience Fund. To give or learn more, visit www.ywcade.org/resilience-fund. For more information about United Medical, visit www.umusa.net.
