Multi-year Branding Project Brings UCC Homes’ Mission and Outreach into Focus

United Church of Christ Homes (UCC Homes), based in Camp Hill, Pa., recently unveiled a new logo and website design, part of an overall updated rebranding program. But the planning did not happen overnight; rather, it is an ongoing, thoughtful, faith-inspired process that has taken several years.

“UCC Homes actually began our journey to a fresh new look in May 2023,” said Victoria Velez, director of public relations and fund development. The initial priority was the website, “the epicenter of our brand” that needed to reflect UCC Homes’ mission, create the look and feel of each of its six locations, and be secure and accessible.

Velez was tasked with the lead role in the upgrade, working in conjunction with the UCC Homes Public Relations and Fund Development Committee, its Board of Directors, the Vice President of Operations, and the President and CEO at that time. “With only a one-person PR & Fund Development department for six communities and a corporate office, it was determined that UCC Homes should partner with a marketing and media firm,” Velez said. After a proposal and review process, Hammer Marketing, a subsidiary of Weidenhammer, was chosen in July 2024.

New President and CEO Meredith Schell Fields began in February 2025, and fully supported the rebranding efforts. The website went live in June 2025, and Schell Fields encouraged the rebranding project continue with a logo redesign.

A New Logo for a New Day

The UCC Homes logo at the time had been in place for more than 60 years. Although UCC Homes’ commitment to serving older adults with love and compassion hadn’t changed, the field of long-term health care had. “The previous logo no longer reflected the expansion of our organization from one community (in 1965) to six communities,” Velez said. “Our goal was to develop a new logo that would encompass our faith, love, and compassion combined with unifying our communities, and express a bright future that we strive to build together.”

With Hammer Marketing, UCC Homes began logo redevelopment. Logo development included what staff had learned in the website redevelopment along with discovery sessions with key stakeholders—staff, board members, select donors, and residents. After three rounds of logo design options, UCC Homes selected the top three and held focus groups to gauge reactions to each. “The new logo received the most positive reactions in each of the focus groups,” said Velez. “We did a soft reveal of the new logo at UCC Homes Annual Corporation Meeting in April 2026, and then did the public reveal in the beginning of June 2026.”

What’s Next?

To assure continuity, the rebranding process continues. UCC Homes is in the final stages of redesigning its print collateral, which will include the new logo, updated photos, and refreshed content to modernize the language and highlight key differentiators, Velez said. Other assets to be redesigned include The Heartbeat of UCC Homes quarterly newsletter, forms, business cards, name badges, flags, email signatures, and the employee newsletter.

In 2027, plans are in place to replace each of the signs at UCC Homes communities. Additionally, UCC Homes is stepping up its social media presence. “Again, with a one-person department, our social media presence had not been strong,” Velez said. “I recently began using  [social media management platform] Loomly to assist me with cross-posting events and organizational highlights to our social media accounts.”

Velez describes the whole process as one of the many ways UCC Homes continues to learn and grow, noting that the new logo and print collateral will help magnify UCC Homes’ mission to the wider community.

UCC Homes President and CEO Schell Fields concurred. “We are so excited to have introduced our new brand and logo,” she said. “Our people, our model and our communities are ready for what’s ahead and our new logo is helping us grow as leaders in the future of aging services.”