Julia Calkins is a new PEPS Group leader! She and her husband Jeremy have been married for 4 years this summer. “Our little guy is 19 months old. We were in an evening group starting when Gus was about 8 weeks old and it was so helpful in so many ways!” she said. Like many PEPS parents, they didn’t have…
Suz Fix participated in a Newborn PEPS Group back in 2016. “During one of the most challenging (and joyful) times in my life, PEPS provided me with a safe and supportive environment where I could talk freely and connect with other new moms.” She decided to give back by being a volunteer leader for another PEPS Group, helping other new parents…
PEPS recently had the opportunity to facilitate a parent support group in Spanish. Maria Alejandra Gomez, community connector on staff at PEPS helped organize and facilitate the group meetings with the new moms. “It was a great opportunity to provide support to new moms, and it was the first time I had led a PEPS Group in Spanish,” Maria said.…
Volunteers lead more than 250 PEPS groups each year, and about 150 of those groups are led by new leaders. PEPS has recently invested in new materials for volunteers as well as in the training they receive. New in 2018 are eight training videos that PEPS created to enhance and develop the training we provide to group leaders. Training leaders is…
On Friday, July 27 from 10 am – 12 pm, parents, babies and toddlers will meet up to stroll around Lakewood Park with local policymakers to talk about issues, policies, legislation that affect families and young children. Things like quality affordable childcare and parental leave for the important time needed to bond with your baby. It’s called Strolling Thunder and…
At PEPS we deeply value the sacred and irreplaceable parent-child relationship. The practice of family separation is inhumane and unacceptable. There is no shortage of evidence proving the harm inflicted on children when removed from their parent(s). The impact on a baby or child’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and development when they endure the trauma of separation from their family is…
Five years ago, Katja Petersen and her husband joined a PEPS group. “We are both originally from Mexico. When we were pregnant with our first child, we found ourselves with no support network. Thankfully, a friend of ours introduced us to PEPS,” Katja said. “The experience of being an immigrant is not easy because people we love are far away. We are forced to build relationships and connections with people that might not speak our language,…
Parents talk to their kids about everything – Why is the sky blue? Why do we wash our hands before we eat? Why should I be nice to my sister? Every day kids ask, and parents respond. And often it’s the parents job to talk about topics proactively – everything from learning letters and math concepts to safety to getting…
Counting on Community was the theme of this year’s PEPS Benefit Luncheon. Copies decorated the tables and everyone who attended came home with this colorful board book that counts up fun neighborhood activities and relationships. When PEPS contacted the author, Innosanto Nagara, to ask if we could share his book at the Luncheon, he said simply that community belongs to…
PEPS will be at The Biggest Baby Shower Ever on June 6. From 5:30-9 pm at Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. Stop by our table to say Hi!
