Tuesday marks the start of a new chapter for a Wichita nonprofit that’s working to end domestic violence.
YWCA Wichita is changing its name to the Wichita Family Crisis Center in an effort to improve community awareness and better reflect its mission.
Development director Kimberly Cronister says the name change was a difficult decision, but it was needed.
"We have struggled for many, many years with our awareness in the community," she says. "We are often confused with the local YMCA, which is a wonderful organization doing great things, and they have built a very strong brand for themselves."
The nonprofit works to eliminate domestic violence in the community by supporting survivors through shelter, education and advocacy. YWCA Wichita shifted its focus to being a women’s crisis center 40 years ago but evolved over the years to serving families.
"We’re just really hoping that the new name is clear and reflects our ongoing transition to be an organization that also doesn’t only serve women and children but also is inclusive to all victims of domestic violence in general," Cronister says.
She says last year, they served more than 1300 people impacted by domestic violence through shelter and outreach services. Rebranding means the nonprofit is dropping its affiliation with the national YWCA organization after 110 years. New signage, marketing materials and redesigned website will be implemented soon. The new website will be found at wichitafamilycrisiscenter.org.
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