A PREPARES Response for February 2021

February 2021

“Seek a relationship when you pray, not answers. You won’t always find answers, but you will always find Jesus.”

Father Mike Schmitz

In this month's special edition, you will read about the first ever statewide PREPARES appeal and other helpful updates..

The Bishops' PREPARES Appeal

This week the Washington Bishops are launching a statewide fundraising campaign to help expand the reach of PREPARES to include more parishes and communities. The PREPARES Valentine Appeal will:

Increase PREPARES' presence in parishes across the state

(In Western Washington, we're 1/3 of the way to a PREPARES ministry at every parish!)

Build up existing PREPARES ministries with ongoing professional support, training and volunteer formation

Recruit, train and support new PREPARES parish ministries in order to serve every baby, mom and family in need across our state

Thank you for openly sharing the good news about PREPARES with your supporters and parish community members, and welcoming any new volunteers who come your way! Please keep the appeal in your thoughts and prayers as we invite people to open their heart and share loving care with mothers and babies in need.

Give today at www.preparesforlife.org/donate and double your impact!

Thanks to the generosity of The Knights of Columbus #676, 100% of your donation will go directly to serve families in need AND the first $25,000 given to the PREPARES Valentine Appeal online will be matched.

PREPARES in the News

Tune in and listen to three great interviews from Sacred Heart Radio spotlighting PREPARES and featuring our own former director, Erin Maguire, as well as Sr. Sharon Park, Lisa Green, and Bishop Joseph Tyson.

PREPARES Prays

Let us pray for the success of the appeal and the people we serve through PREPARES.

God our creator, we pray:

for new mothers, coming to terms with new responsibility;

for expectant mothers, wondering and waiting;

for those who are tired, stressed and depressed; for those who struggle to balance the tasks of work and family;

for those who are unable to feed their children due to poverty;

for those whose children have physical, mental or emotional disabilities;

for those who raise their children are on their own; for those who have lost a child;

for those who care for the children of others;

for those whose children have left home;

and for those whose desire to be a mother has not been fulfilled.

Bless all mothers, that their love may be deep and tender,

and that they may lead their children to know and do what is good;

living not for themselves alone, but for God and others.

Amen

Ministry Spotlight: St. Brendan, Bothell

Click here to see a short video first shared on PREPARES of Western Washington's Facebook page. It features Doris Lopez-Svanevic, PREPARES Coordinator at the newly opened baby closet at St. Brendan parish in Bothell. Each month, since opening in September, the PREPARES team has doubled the number of families they served the month before. Thank you Doris, volunteers, and the whole St. Brendan parish community!

A Word From Our Director, Aleah Patulot

I want to express my gratitude for our PREPARES family of volunteers and supporters. After a difficult 2020, you have persevered and found ways to meet the needs of our moms and their families. In the latter half of the year, PREPARES volunteers served 1,387 families! Let's look forward to a time when we can reach even more neighbors. To that end, keep an eye out for folks in your parish who are interested in getting involved in PREPARES after hearing about it through the Valentine Appeal. PREPARES staff is ready to help as we grow together in faith, in concern for families in need, and in our ability, as a Catholic community, to serve them. Blessings to you as we enter into the holy season of Lent next Wednesday!

Aleah, 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.