Berks Women in Crisis announces new name: Safe Berks
Many found the BWIC name outdated, not descriptive of services offered
Berks Women in Crisis publicly announced a new identity and look, including the new name Safe Berks, to more than 400 people at its 40th Anniversary Celebration of Peace on Dec. 12.
BWIC spent the 40th Anniversary year engaging the community around the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault with its “Healthy Village Project,” innovative programs by nationally-known speakers such as Katie Koestner, Gordon Braxton, Elizabeth Smart, and Nicholas Kristof. Audiences included students, the business community, and the general public. Local mother and daughter, Gwen Gage and Kelly Gage-Mocey, presented their inspiring story of healing and hope to college students.
These audiences also shared with us their knowledge of BWIC programs and services, as well as the barriers that exist to accessing our services. In order to more fully understand the community perception of BWIC, we engaged CrossRoads Studios to conduct an analysis. CrossRoads interviewed more than forty stakeholders, including members of the staff and Board of Directors, survivors, donors, and community members.
CrossRoads completed an extensive background review of the agency, conducted significant industry research and trade publication review, did some competitive review of our name and brand, and finally made recommendations. Interviewees overwhelmingly identif ied that BWIC serves women and children, and rarely mentioned sexual assault services. They found the name “outdated” and not descriptive of the services offered, and two distinct identities emerged, that of “Berks Women in Crisis” and “BWIC”.
As a result, a number of recommendations were made to improve the agency messaging, so that ALL victims of domestic violence and sexual assault would view BWIC as a welcoming place to seek support. The most commonly used word in the in- terviews to describe BWIC and our unique value proposition was “Safe”. As a result, we accepted the recommendation that we change the agency name to “Safe Berks,” and adopt the tagline: “Educate. Advocate. End Abuse.”
The goal of this change is to broaden the demographics of those utilizing our services, and to reframe our focus from serving the needs of each victim to include a community-wide effort to create a safe community, or “Safe Berks.” This can be accomplished by providing services, holding offenders and systems accountable, and by educating the community to confront the root causes of this violence and pro-actively engage in creating an environment where it is not tolerated.
BWIC is seen as an agency that is mission- centered, innovative and responsive. Our Founding Mothers charged us with not only the duty to appropriately reflect the community we serve, but also to transform it into a place where domestic violence and sexual assault no longer exist. We believe the name change and chosen branding strategy fulfill our mission, and challenge us to continue to innovate and to respond to the changing needs of both the individuals impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault, as well as our community.
Safe Berks will continue to provide the same high quality, lifesaving services we have provided for 40 years. Going forward, we will work to ensure that ALL who need us know that they are welcomed and supported. We count on the support of the Berks Community to make all of our work possible. We cannot do it without you!
Safe Berks is a 501c3 which provides a safe haven and ongoing support system for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Our advocacy and education programs increase awareness and promote the prevention of domestic violence, sexual assault, and all forms of oppression. We have been proudly serving the Berks County Pennsylvania community for 40 years.