10/03/2026
Tonight, at Mighty Real, we announced the new name for our organization: Ascend.
This moment belongs to the people who have made our work possible. Baker Places grew from commitment to residential and behavioral health care. AIDS Benefits Counselors, AIDS Emergency Fund, and Positive Resource Center grew from communities responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic with advocacy, practical support, and care. Their paths came together in PRC. Their history comes with us.
Over time, our services and teams became more connected. We wanted a name that could speak for the whole organization and make room for what comes next. Ascend does that.
The name reflects possibility, but it does not prescribe a single path. Healing, stability, and independence can look different for each person. Our role is to listen, meet people where they are, and connect them with support and opportunities that serve their own goals. We, too, must keep learning and responding to what our communities need.
Together, we reflect more.
At Mighty Real, that idea became something we could see. Throughout the evening, attendees were invited to write the names of people who had made an impact on their lives, as well as the services and forms of support that have made a difference to them, on individual mirrors.
Each mirror held a reflection—a person, a memory, a source of support, or a piece of the work that has touched someone’s life. Then, those individual mirrors came together to create one meaningful art piece, revealed as part of the evening.
What began as individual reflections became a collective one. Together, the mirrors reflected the many people, experiences, services, and acts of care that have shaped our history and continue to shape our future. The piece reminds us that our story is not defined by any one person or moment. It is made up of countless connections, each one contributing something meaningful to the whole.
As we begin this next chapter as Ascend, we carry those reflections with us. The art piece is a reminder that while our name may change, the people and purpose at the heart of this work remain at the center of who we are.
Our services continue. In the coming months, our website, signage, and materials will take on a new look. During the transition, you may still encounter PRC or Baker Places on some materials. Your existing contacts and service pathways remain in place unless you receive a direct update.
To our clients, staff, volunteers, partners, and supporters: thank you for carrying this work forward.
Welcome to Ascend!
