A Journey Towards Equity

In the deepest pockets of Delaware, deliberate, transformative, and collaborative investments are redefining community health. Together,

Healthy Communities Delaware (HCD) and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) are fostering cross-sector collaborations that align public health, healthcare, and community-based organizations to promote equity and continue to combat COVID-19 across communities.

In 2023, HCD received American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding from DPH to expand Delaware's national Equitable Long-Term Recovery and Resilience Plan (ELTRR). The ELTRR leverages the Vital Conditions for Health and Well-Being as the guiding framework to promote community-level equity. This framework identifies the factors people depend on to reach their full potential. The Vital Conditions are humane housing, basic needs for health & safety, a thriving natural world, lifelong learning, meaningful work and wealth, reliable transportation, and a sense of belonging and civic muscle, and enable communities to thrive.

Investing in Community: Transforming Lives, One Grant at a Time

As a strategic funding initiative, HCD disbursed $900,000 to 16 nonprofit organizations via grants to enhance their programs addressing health equity and the Vital Conditions. HCD launched a funding opportunity for HCD partners and other local organizations. From home restoration and workforce development to environmental sustainability and civic engagement, the one-time, supplemental investments empowered tangible improvements at the hyper-local level.

The diversity of need for this funding reflect its profound impact on local initiatives, as shown by the experiences and insights of those directly benefiting from these investments.

"Funding of this nature is desperately needed throughout the State to assist low-income homeowners. The existing funding of our Program allows us to serve many households, however, any additional funding sources that allow this flexibility is very much needed." - Tami Gold, Home Repair Manager, Milford Housing

"We have seen the Spotlight Delaware mailing list grow from 600 to more than 3,100, including hundreds of email addresses from individuals who participated in our Community Listening Tour. This has helped us to build a highly diverse audience -- including many people who shared that they were previously disengaged from local news sources." - Allison Taylor Levine, Spotlight Delaware

"The civic association has grown a lot and participants have started to come to the meetings more regularly. At some meetings, more than 15 residents have participated. This is a major change from the time during the pandemic and after when sometimes just one or two people participated." - Christian Willauer, Be Ready CDC

Equity Action Summit: A Catalyst for Change

In April 2024, the Equity Action Summit, created and implemented by HCD, convened stakeholders, policymakers, and community leaders for two days of engaging workshops and impactful keynotes by national figures LaTosha Brown, Founder of Black Voters Matter, and Admiral Rachel Levine, U.S. H.S.S. Assistant Secretary. The Summit also offered restorative wellness sessions, impact films offered through DDOE, a minority-owned business marketplace, a poster gallery walk featuring local and national equity projects, and a live mural work of art.

This landmark event was co-hosted with 21 partners, including the Delaware Bureau of Health Equity. It catalyzed discussions on equity and showcased local initiatives driving meaningful change. As intentional efforts for equity, the event offered childcare, transportation and an after-party at the Delaware Blue Rocks, a minor league baseball game, at no cost to attendees.

As a testament to its reach for inclusion, the diverse attendee-base identified as 48.5% non-white (Black or African American, Asian or Asian American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander). The goal was to have a space where individuals were seen, supported, and left feeling rejuvenated to sustain involvement in equity action. As such, attendee surveys resulted in a report of those taking action, as 15% took action in one way, 24% took action in more than one way, and 87% intend to take action.

The Summit underscored Delaware's commitment to inclusivity and systemic transformation and this model is a recommended practice for others working in this space.

"What really stood out for me is most of the time I go to conferences and I'm in the minority, as in I'm one of the few Black folks. And it felt good to be in a diverse setting, like it was very diverse in regards to who was in the room- it was some politicians, community organizers, different organizations. I might go to a conference and see people who don't look like me so then I don't feel connected in the space. But this was very diverse and I think that's because of the committee." -Co-host

"I thought the Summit was great and congratulations to you and all the organizers on pulling it off! I thought the keynote speakers were wonderful, I enjoyed my sessions and learned about some great work and got some ideas of my own and had fun at the wellness sessions!" -Attendee

As HCD continues to forge ahead, its commitment to equity-driven community development and collaboration remains unwavering. Through strategic partnerships, capacity building, and innovative approaches, HCD is paving the way for resilient communities capable of navigating future challenges with strength and unity.

Inspired by these efforts? Investors, organizations, and community partners can replicate and support this transformative work by leveraging various resources and the ELTRR framework to foster progress in more spaces.

For more information on our initiatives and to contact us, visit Healthy Communities Delaware.