Summit Advocates becomes ARISE after recent name change

Summit Advocates, an organization providing support to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, has renamed itself ARISE. The change took effect on Monday, October 28.

Community Relations and Education Coordinator Tori Ivanich said the main reason for the name change was that the word “advocate” does not have an accurate translation in Spanish that staff and community members felt reflected the organization’s mission. Since the organization serves English and Spanish speaking people, they felt it was important to make a change.

ARISE is an acronym that stands for Advocacy, Resilience, Intervention, Shelter and Education. In Spanish, the anchor name means Apoyo, Refugio, Intervención, Serguidad and Educacion.

ARISE has a shelter that can accommodate up to 23 people, including children of survivors. The organization does not disclose its location for security reasons.

Ivanich said the name change was also influenced by the connotation of the words “defender.” She said the word “advocate” is often associated with the word “victim,” and in many cases, when a survivor is called a “victim,” they don’t seek help because they don’t see themselves as a victim.

“It excludes people who don’t consider themselves victims and continues to stigmatize the topic,” she said.

To learn more about ARISE, visit AriseSummitCo.org/about..