About the Founder
Founders' Story
My name is Renee Blackwell, and I am the founder of The Awakening Center.
For many years, I lived through domestic violence. During that time, my children and I experienced homelessness more than once. We stayed in shelters, moved from place to place, and fought every day to rebuild our lives. Those experiences were some of the most difficult seasons of my life, but they also opened my eyes to something that changed me forever.
While staying in shelters, I noticed something important. Even though we were grateful to have a roof over our heads, the open shelter environments were often overwhelming—especially for children who had already experienced trauma. My children felt safer and more secure when we were able to stay in smaller, more private spaces. They even began calling one place we stayed “the second apartment,” because it gave them a sense of normalcy during a very unstable time.
That moment stayed with me.
I realized that safety and stability are not just about having a roof overhead. They are about creating an environment where survivors—and their children—can begin to heal.
During those same experiences, I also met many young people who were in shelters because they had aged out of the foster care system with nowhere to go. Their stories broke my heart and reminded me how many people fall through the cracks when support systems disappear.
For years, I carried a dream in my heart: to create a place where survivors of domestic violence and young adults aging out of foster care could find not just housing, but true stability and support.
That dream is now becoming The Awakening Center.
The Awakening Center is being built to provide safe housing and wrap-around services for domestic violence survivors and foster youth transitioning into adulthood. Our vision is to create environments where families can heal, rebuild, and move forward with dignity and hope.
This mission is deeply personal to me. I know firsthand how difficult the journey can be—but I also know that healing is possible when people are given the right support and a safe place to begin again.
If this mission speaks to you, I invite you to follow our page, share our story, and walk alongside us as we build something that will help others rise from some of the darkest moments of their lives.
Together, we can create places where healing begins.
— Founder, The Awakening Center