United Medical LLC is appealing to individuals, businesses and community partners to help YWCA Delaware reach its $1.5 million Resilience Fund goal, with $850,000 raised and $650,000 remaining to be secured by March 2027. Kemal Erkan, United Medical's CEO and founder, chairs the fund's Advisory Committee, giving the Wilmington-based health care organization a direct role in the campaign to protect essential services for women and families across Delaware.
The appeal follows YWCA Delaware's October 7 Celebration Breakfast at DuPont Country Club, held under the theme "Generation to Generation, Empowering Every Story." The gathering highlighted the organization's lasting impact on families and communities while underscoring the importance of sustaining that legacy for future generations. 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 Advisory Committee and his continued support of YWCA Delaware's mission.
"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. Those services include safe housing, 24/7 support for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking, financial counseling, and youth development programming. Much of the organization'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. That 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. Donors can contribute through the Resilience Fund campaign page.
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, and 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, Delaware Community Foundation, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospitals, New Castle County and TD Bank.
The stakes extend beyond a single organization's budget. A shortfall in the fund could translate into interrupted housing and crisis services for residents who depend on them, while a completed campaign would give YWCA Delaware a buffer against federal funding volatility. United Medical, part of the Delaware business community through its accountable care organization work, frames the effort as a chance to prepare before a gap becomes a crisis. More information about the company is available at www.umusa.net, and details on YWCA Delaware's programs can be found at www.ywcade.org.
