Greetings, PEPS family!
Spring is one of my favorite times of year. Plants and animals are waking up from their winter slumber, and best of all, birds are making their annual return to the Pacific Northwest to start a new family!
For plants, birds, and other animals, things have been business as usual. Here at PEPS, we have been flexing and pivoting in order to continue to do what we do best during this unusual time of physical distancing and stay at home orders: bring families together for support and connection.
At the beginning of March and due to the pandemic, PEPS made the decision to move all of our Newborn PEPS group meetings online. While the transition to meeting virtually had its initial challenges, our families have been resilient and there are currently 352 families meeting in 46 PEPS groups, finding support and connection together!
Our AMAZING Group Leaders have shown flexibility and patience during this transition to virtual groups, too. Our virtual groups are happening in large part thanks to their unwavering dedication to supporting families. In turn, our Community Connectors have been hosting weekly online chats for leaders to offer support, answer questions, and offer tips on how to facilitate the PEPS curriculum online.
We continue to look for ways to further support the community. We are currently:
- piloting a 6-week, drop-in series for expectant parents
- introducing Saturday afternoon virtual 2-parent Newborn groups, which typically meet in the evenings
- offering evening virtual Second Time Around groups
- offering virtual groups that connect families living in broader geographical areas
Our work to connect families has extended beyond new parents. Families have been sharing through the years that peer support for
parents of adolescents and teens is much needed - yet there is a gap. As we continue to gauge what that support can look like for parents of adolescents and teens, we are working diligently to create a program that will offer the connection and support these parents need as their children transition from childhood into their teenage years. If your family includes a child between 10-20 years old, please consider sharing about your experience through our
survey.
Despite these uncertain times, our team at PEPS continues to move forward, adapting and learning, with an unwavering commitment to supporting families through connection. We are grateful to everyone who fuels our work, including our group leaders, donors, sponsors, and so many others. Thank you for being a part of this community.
With gratitude,
