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"Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."


Mark 10:14

PREPARES turns 10!

October 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of PREPARES! In 2014, the Bishops of Washington inaugurated this "exciting new statewide initiative." 10 years later, we continue to grow.


Click here to read about the anniversary mass celebrated by Bishop Frank Schuster at St. James Cathedral on September 28 and the way we said thank you to our amazing volunteers.

Make sure you follow PREPARES on social media so you can see the 10th anniversary video that will be released later this month.

New Art to Celebrate our Anniversary

Pictured above is the 10th anniversary artwork commissioned from Northwest artist Josiah Henley. This image will be used in new posters and advertising for PREPARES. It is part of a revamping of materials that will be available to our parishes to help them serve their families. What a gorgeous celebration of our work!

PREPARES Through the Years

Incredible growth at OLH- we need YOUR help!


WOW! – Our Lady of Hope in Everett PREPARES WW volunteers are working so hard right now trying to meet the needs of their community. According to their August 2024 report, they served 143 families! Compare this to August 2023 when they served 35 families. That's over 100 new families in the past year.


They have had nice Christmas events the past few years, due to a generous donation from a local car dealership. Unfortunately, they didn’t receive that donation for this holiday season, and they are trying to figure out a plan for this year with all of the additional families!

 

If anyone in the Everett area is interested in supporting by volunteering and/or donating to this extremely busy ministry, please contact the NW Coordinator, Peggy Behnken for how to do so! Phone: 206-939-3400

October is Respect Life Month

PREPARES joins with the USCCB in celebrating Respect Life month through our service of families from pregnancy through age 5. Learn more about this campaign and find prayers, printable resources, and more at the USCCB's official Respect Life month website.

USCCB 2024 Respect Life Month

PREPARES Prays

This October, we pray:

Welcoming our new staff!

Alejandra Torres- Puget Sound Lead Area Coordinator

I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share the joy of life by helping children and families in need at PREPARES. I have been deeply involved in the Catholic Church since I was a teenager. I was part of the Salesian Youth Movement, where I did missionary work in remote areas of Mexico 2006- 2008. I attended the World Youth Day in Spain in 2011 and Brazil in 2013. I served as the coordinator of the youth group at St. Polycarp Church in California. Currently, my husband and I are participating in the Catholic Christian Family Movement at Sacred Heart Church.

 

Four years ago, I embarked on a journey at Catholic Community Services with the PrePS program, dedicated to serving children and pregnant women. Recently, I've been blessed to continue pursuing my passion for supporting families and children being part of the PREPARES team as the Puget Sound Area Lead Coordinator. I am gratefully anticipating the opportunity to hear the success stories of the families we serve and to work alongside the incredible volunteers. I pray to be guided by the Holy Spirit as I contribute to the expansion of the ministry of PREPARES.

Katie Joyce- Operations Manager

I am excited for my new adventure with PREPARES! I spent the last 11 years as a social studies and religious studies teacher at a Catholic school and while I loved working with the students and teachers there, it was time for a change. I joined the PREPARES of WW team in September, diving in just in time to begin celebrations for our 10th anniversary.


I'm a cradle Catholic, and my family currently attends St. John the Baptist in Covington. My husband and I have two young children that were both baptized at this church. I'm in my second year of teaching preschool faith formation there. I'm also a member of the Women's Commission, exploring ways to increase representation and women's voices throughout the church experience.


In my role with PREPARES, I'll support the area and program coordinators through file management, communications, and reporting. If you're a PREPARES volunteer, you'll be hearing from me soon!


Aleah, Peggy, Teresa, Cindy, Alejandra, and Katie

PREPARES of Western Washington Team

4250 S Mead Street, Seattle, WA 98118    

206-737-9264

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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.