From Community Vision to Groundbreaking in Newark's South Ward

On March 5th, community partners, residents, and city and county leaders gathered together to break ground on a new $50 million holistic wellness center in the South Ward. We are so proud to support BRICK Networks, in partnership with Saint James Health, the YMCA of Newark and Vicinity, as they bring to life a resident-defined vision for Newark's South Ward.

The project emerged directly from a resident engagement process led by BRICK Networks where South Ward stakeholders, families, and leaders shared a vision for what the community might be. Community members consistently named improved healthcare access, affordable healthy food, maternity care, and holistic support for children and families as urgent needs.

The new 50,000 sq. ft. facility will house a community room for gatherings and workshops, a full-service pharmacy, a maternal health wing, primary care suites, and state-of-the-art classrooms for health and cooking education. It will be open to all, regardless of insurance status, resident status, or ability to pay.

The center's design and services are rooted in ongoing community conversation, starting with a temporary wellness site that opened in partnership with Saint James Health, which further informed the comprehensive offerings now under construction. The wellness center will also provide swing space for nonprofits and community-based organizations, making it a hub for community collaboration. The center is slated to open April 2027.

"This moment marks the next phase of work in the making. It only happens when a neighborhood decides it deserves that, and then organizes to build it," shared Dominique Lee, CEO of BRICK Networks, at the groundbreaking ceremony. "Our job is to match those dreams with a promise that is just as real. Today, we are putting that promise into the ground."

The wellness center is already fully funded for construction at $48 million, with an additional $5 million needed to pay off the mortgage, bringing the dream of a debt-free, sustainable facility within reach. Victoria Foundation is proud to have made our largest grant to date, $2 million, in support of this public-private partnership, and community infrastructure that is responsive to its neighbors who dreamed it into existence.

"We are investing in the dreams and voices of Newark residents," said Craig Drinkard, Executive Officer of Victoria Foundation. "Our neighbors have made it clear that they envision a Newark where everyone has what they need to take care of themselves and their families. We invite foundations, policymakers, and neighbors to join us in building an even stronger support network for our city."

The most exciting part of this project, to us, is how it represents the ethos of our Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative: listening to residents and taking action. Through the initiative, the Victoria Foundation is committed to amplifying community priorities, addressing historical disinvestment, and ensuring stability and prosperity are within reach for all

Newark's Upper Clinton Hill in the South Ward, is one of the neighborhoods where our Thriving Neighborhoods Initiative focuses. It is a vibrant community where culture thrives through its artists, murals, music, and performance scenes. The neighborhood boasts local control of its school district, indicative of a community invested in the future of its youth. This investment in holistic family well-being furthers the care that residents and community leaders are taking for our next generation.

We're incredibly proud to stand with partners who are strengthening community power and generational well-being in Newark.