My PEPS Story

In 2013 PEPS will celebrate 30 years of building community in Seattle. As part of this celebration we are gathering your PEPS stories to help paint a picture of the impact PEPS has had on thousands of Seattle families over the last 30 years. Please share your PEPS story with us!

Dear PEPS Community of Families,

My PEPS experience began more than 16 years ago with the birth of my son Jack on July 22, 1996. My husband and I joined an evening group on the advice of a friend.  I’ll never forget the first meeting.  It was a very hot, August evening; ten couples with their babies were uncomfortably packed into a small living room.  I sensed I had little in common with any of them, but that soon changed.  

Our leader was fabulous and the group was soon off and running.  We lost a few couples early on due to schedule conflicts, and became a smaller group of six families spread out over Shoreline, Ballard and northeast Seattle.

Despite our differences, we all had one thing in common that motivated us to keep meeting at locations all over during evening and baby bedtime hours;  we were all new parents facing the most transformational and challenging time of our lives and we were going through it together.  

Coincidentally, we all had boys, who soon became known as the “PEPS boys.” My husband and I had no family here, no roots in Seattle, no immediate friends living close enough going through the same thing, and we were both working at more than full time, stressful jobs. I have a difficult time thinking about how we would have coped through that time without the community and support we received from our PEPS Group.  

In the early days, we supported each other through colic, breastfeeding in the work place, a serious respiratory illness, relationship challenges, and the fatigue of sleep deprivation, coupled with full time work and taking care of baby and family.  The PEPS boys stuck closely together for the better part of eight years.  We took care of each other’s children, the babies learned how to socialize in a supportive and safe environment, we bonded over kindergarten choices, and we valued each other’s friendship.

We still connect today to celebrate and share important milestones and to keep in touch.  PEPS, more than anything, taught me the value of community, and its impact on supporting parents and families.  I feel honored to be a part of PEPS today and to further our vision where no new parent feels isolated, ill-equipped or unsupported; where all parents develop the confidence to build strong, healthy families; and where all children grow up in a social environment that allows them to thrive.

So, now you know my PEPS story, but we want to hear yours! In 2013, PEPS will be celebrating 30 years of building community in Seattle. Members of the PEPS Board and Staff have been working on a variety of ways to celebrate this milestone – and one of them is to gather stories from 30 years of PEPS to help paint a picture of the impact we've had on thousands of Seattle families. 

We would love to hear about your PEPS experience, so we’ve created an easy format for submitting your story and photos online. We’re looking forward to hearing from you. These stories will be featured throughout 2013 and during our Annual Luncheon on March 7, 2013.

Thanks for sharing with us, and for being a part of the incredible PEPS Community.

Sincerely,

 

  

 

Laura Kussick
PEPS Executive Director 

206-547-8570 ext. 25

laurak@peps.org