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 already 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 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, United Medical CEO and founder Kemal Erkan, who chairs the fund's Advisory Committee, was honored with the Dorothy Height Leadership Award for his commitment to advancing equity, human dignity and opportunity.
"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 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 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. Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield was a primary sponsor, 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 (CSC), Delaware Community Foundation, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospitals, New Castle County, and TD Bank.
United Medical encourages supporters to contribute to the Resilience Fund by visiting www.ywcade.org/resilience-fund. More information about United Medical is available at www.umusa.net, and details about YWCA Delaware's programs can be found at www.ywcade.org.
