Awake Unveils A New Name and New Look
Members of the Awake community have likely noticed some buzz in the air, including recent social media posts hinting that Awake leaders have been working on something big. This week, we’re finally ready to share the news.
First, some background. When our organization began, back in 2019, we called ourselves Awake Milwaukee and focused our work on the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. But our reach has grown over time, as more and more people from across the country have found us and reached out to connect. We are now a big, beautiful, diverse community of people from all over the United States and beyond, and we decided it was time for our name to reflect our national reach.
This week, our organization is officially dropping Milwaukee from our name, to simply be called Awake.
Our new logo!
Along with this name change, we have a new look, a new logo, and a new website. For many people, the website is their first contact with Awake, so we worked hard to make it warm, welcoming, informative, and easy to navigate. We began this process by working with Jacob Popcak, a gifted artist and brand designer, then we partnered with talented web designer Rebecca Loomis of Fabelle Creative, who helped us create this new digital home. Awake’s Community Engagement Specialist Catherine Owers also put a huge amount of time into this project, and we’re so happy with the result. We invite you to explore our new website at www.awakecommunity.org.
The Work Continues
Even though our name has changed, Awake remains committed to the same important work, offering education, advocacy, prayer, and survivor support to people across the United States and beyond, with a mission focused on awakening, transformation, and healing.
Sara Larson, Awake executive director
“As Awake embraces our identity as a national organization,” Awake Executive Director Sara Larson explains, “we will continue to bring a compassionate, survivor-centered voice to the public conversation about abuse in the Catholic Church, while also providing support and accompaniment to those who have been wounded by this abuse.”
While we feel called to make a broader impact, it’s also important to note that Awake will remain rooted in Milwaukee, the community where we began this work. We are deeply grateful for the support and connections we found here, relationships that we will continue to nourish in the years ahead.
We invite you to share this news and the new website with your friends and other contacts this week. Awake’s leaders know that this growth could not have happen without all of you who have engaged with us over the years, sharing your stories, your wisdom, and your hope along the way. Larson sums it up perfectly: “We are grateful to have a name, logo, and website that better reflect the beautiful community that we have created together. We look forward to our next steps!”
—Erin O’Donnell, Editor, Awake Blog
