We’re still feeling the energy from The Power of Us
Thank you to everyone who showed up, supported, and poured into this incredible night. From our sponsors to our community, every single one of you played a part in making this gala unforgettable.
It truly was a reflection of what happens when we come together with purpose. Host: @blakethebrain Videographer: @kamuhammadjr Event Curator: @_natemcalister
Grateful for each and every one of you! #ThePowerOfUs #Community #netgala #networkconnect
In 2025, the Wilmington Street Team showed what community-centered outreach looks like in action.
Through consistent presence, relationship-building, and direct connection to support, the team made a meaningful impact across Wilmington:
🧡 2,899 helpful resources given
🧡 33 public safety round tables hosted
🧡 48 community walks hosted
🧡 72 High-Risk incident responses (HRI) Coordinated
🧡 1,400 Community Encounters provided
Every conversation, every walk, and every resource shared represents a step toward a safer, more connected Wilmington.
Thank you to the Wilmington Street Team and everyone who continues to show up for our community.
To our beloved partners at Mother African Union Church,
Our hearts are deeply saddened by the devastating fire that destroyed your historic church home. While the building may be gone, the faith, strength, and spirit of your congregation remain unshaken.
Founded in 1813 by Rev. Peter Spencer, Mother African Union Church is recognized as one of the oldest independent African American churches in the nation and played a vital role in the history of Black worship, freedom, and community empowerment. The church also became the home of the historic August Quarterly, one of the oldest continuing African American religious festivals in the United States. 
For generations, your church has stood as a beacon of hope, prayer, justice, and perseverance for the Wilmington community and beyond. No fire can erase the legacy, lives touched, or the powerful foundation built through your ministry.
As your partner, we stand with you in prayer, love, and unwavering support during this difficult season. We believe God will bring healing, restoration, and beauty from these ashes.
Please know you are not alone. We are praying for your pastors, leaders, members, and the entire congregation as you move forward in faith and hope.
With heartfelt love, prayers and support, Network Connect
May is Mental Health Awareness Month — a reminder that mental health is part of overall health, and that connection can be a meaningful first step toward support.
At Network Connect, we believe awareness is only the beginning. Checking in, reducing stigma, and helping people find support can make a real difference.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 for 24/7 support.
*Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Small steps add up.
On April 21, Network Connect hosted Small Steps, Stronger Futures, a financial literacy event that helped increase awareness of the relationship between financial strain and emotional well-being while providing participants with concrete tools related to budgeting, saving, and credit.
32 community members explored budgeting, saving, and credit with guest speakers Camille Moman and Ronald Sudler, with tips that felt doable and clear.
Financial stress impacts more than your wallet. It impacts your mental health, daily life, and stability. By addressing the connection between financial stress, trauma, and health, the event helped participants build both practical knowledge and a broader understanding of how financial wellness contributes to long-term well-being.
The combination of education, reflection, and direct access to resources made this event both meaningful and actionable for attendees. Brandywine Counseling offered information that aligned with the event’s emphasis on mental health, stress, and supportive services, while NeighborGood Partners shared information about its Matched Savings Program, which gives participants the opportunity to save and receive matching funds of up to $2,000.
Thank you to Highmark Health Options and every community member who joined us!
Violence is not inevitable. We can learn and teach to see each other.
The Wilmington Street Team strengthens community safety through street-level outreach, de-escalation, and connection to support.
This work is strengthened through partnership with the Center for Structural Equity.
You will see the team in the places where stress runs high, showing presence, calming situations, and staying connected after. That consistency helps reduce harm. It also helps people choose a different next step.
Healthy aging starts with what you know.
Network Connect, in partnership with Highmark Health Options, hosted the Senior Day Citizen's Day Out Community Education Event, focused on Alzheimer’s awareness and overall health and wellness for older adults.
Seniors, caregivers, and community members joined us for education, prevention, and practical resources. Guest speakers from the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition shared guidance on health advocacy, early detection, and where to turn for support.
This event gave people information they can use right away, plus space to connect with others who care about aging well. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day welcoming, informative, and empowering!
Sometimes you do not need more information.
You need someone to help you sort it.
Community Well-Being Ambassadors connect neighbors to resources, programming, and well being skills. They help with needs that can include mental health support, substance use support, youth support, and essential needs solutions.
One conversation can turn into a path forward.
Happy Mother’s Day from Network Connect 💕
Today, we celebrate the moms who lead, uplift, and strengthen our communities every day. Moms are community leaders, and we’re grateful for all that you do.
We’re honored to continue our partnership with Highmark Health Options Delaware and to be a recipient of the Health Equity Fund.
This support shows up in real, tangible ways.
It strengthens Recovery Cafe, our work that helps those in any stage of recovery build coping skills, emotional awareness, resilience and a safe space for healing.
It also help us with our Winter Coat initiative by partnering with Mother African Union Church, this investment supported 550 families and individuals with winter essentials and holiday support, including heated blankets, sleeping bags, coats, hats, socks, food, and gift cards.
Violence is not only a safety issue. It shapes health. It shapes stress, grief, school, work, and whether people feel safe enough to access what they need.
The Delaware Journal of Public Health’s issue on Violence as a Public Health Issue puts that truth on the record, with perspectives and solutions grounded in what communities live every day.
We are proud to share that Network Connect’s co-founder and executive director, Cierra Hall-Hipkins, co-authored an article in this issue, It Takes a Village: Moving from Unaligned Action to Collective Impact.
This is why we do collective work. When systems act alone, people fall through gaps. When partners move with shared goals, communities get safer and stronger.
Read the full article here - link in bio!
Network Connect is not a list of programs.
We are the people doing the work, outside, in real time.
On school routes. On blocks. At community events. In conversations that help change happen.
We coordinate partners, and we stay close to the details, because that is where safety and stability get built.
