January 2020 The Gospel of Life is at the heart of Jesus' message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to the people of every age and culture. – Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae

A PREPARES Response.....

Mass and March for Life - January 21st

This year's Mass for Life and March for Life is Tuesday, January 21st, 2020. As Pope St. John Paul II proclaimed, "a great prayer for life is urgently needed..." ( Evangelium Vitae 100). Together, the Catholic faith community will pray and stand for a culture of life and love. This year's Mass for Life will be celebrated at two parishes: Mass at Sacred Heart, Lacey will begin at 9:30AM Mass at St. Michael, Olympia will begin at 10:00AM For more information from the Archdiocese of Seattle click here.

A Word of Gratitude

Christmastime is always a time for generous spirits to reach deep into their hearts and wallets and share with others who are less fortunate. This year was no different. PREPARES has been truly blessed by all of the donations that we received from so many generous parishes and individuals. From diapers and clothing to carseats and strollers and even hundreds of dollars of gift cards that can be used throughout the year to help families in need. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who contributed!

PREPARES Program Manager for King County Many of you have met Donna Cheesebrough who has been serving as the Program Manager for PREPARES of Western Washington since last summer. Due to the caregiving demands of her family at this time, she has made the difficult decision to reduce the number of hours she can dedicate to PREPARES. While she will still be an active member of the PREPARES team, we are planning to hire a new Program Manager for King County. This will be a full-time role based in Catholic Community Services office in Seattle. If you, or anyone you know, is interested in this role, please take a look at the position which is posted on Catholic Community Services of Western Washington website here .

This Month’s Helpful Handout: Washington 2-1-1

The beginning of a new year is a good time for a reminder about how to access services available to families in need across the state. This month we are highlighting our Helpful Handout for Washington 2-1-1, a great resource for our companions and the families they support. To learn more click here to access the link to the Washington 2-1-1.

A New Year Prayer

We pray ... For healing ... prepare us for surprises. For strength ... prepare us for surprises. For vision ... prepare us for surprises. For transformation ... prepare us for surprises. For messengers and messages … prepare us for surprises. For community … prepare us for surprises For acceptance - of ourselves and others ... prepare us for surprises. For making room at our tables … prepare us for surprises. For Truth-seeking … prepare us for surprises. For support … prepare us for surprises. For Common Ground … prepare us for surprises. Walk beside us, O Holy One, as we question and welcome, as we challenge and invite, as we discover and understand, as we see, touch, taste, smell, and listen for the Newness awaiting us in 2020. May we, Your Holy People, walk forward together side by side. Amen. Source: Sr. Mary Ann Barrett, O.P.

Upcoming Events PREPARES Training (Holy Redeemer, Vancouver) - January 11th Mass for Life (Sacred Heart, Lacey & St. Michael, Olympia) - January 21st Nine Days for Life - January 21st - 29th PREPARES workshop at Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (Washington D.C.) - January 26th

Blessings, Donna, Erin, Carol, Teresa, and Lisa PREPARES of Western Washington Team 100 - 23rd Ave South, Seattle, WA 98144       206-737-9264

To learn about updates and upcoming PREPARES events, please visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PreparesWW

Please consider joining us in walking the journey with families in your own parish community. For more information please visit our website at www.preparesforlife.org. If you know of others who might be interested in volunteering and or learning more about PREPARES, please forward them this message or have them contact us directly.