When Tammy moved to Seattle, she reached out for ideas on how to connect with other parents and found PEPS.

Tammy, Thomas and Carmela Panlilio

Tammy's Baby Peppers Group

Tammy's Baby Peppers Group on a night out

When my husband, Thomas, and I moved to Seattle, we only knew 3 people in town. We had never lived outside of Southern California, and we were ready to embark on a new family adventure.

The few people we knew did not have kids, and I was eager to find programs, activities, resources, friends, and a support system.

We moved in early January, when my daughter was just 7 months old, and signed up for Baby Peppers. Joining Baby Peppers allowed me to build new relationships with others who were very understanding, gave me a safe space to talk about my experiences, offered suggestions or a helping hand when I encountered hardships, and also listened to my complaints and concerns.

I loved being able to meet week after week to celebrate the new skills that the kids were learning. It was fun to see our kids go from sitting up, to crawling, to walking, to running and climbing!

It went beyond just talking every week. When hardships came about, we were there for each other. I was feeling overwhelmed and shared my worries in our group, and then a PEPS friend picked up my daughter, took her to the zoo, fed her lunch, changed her diapers, and gave me a few uninterrupted hours. Another mom needed meals, help with chores and watching her baby while her husband was ill and hospitalized. She was stressed and worried, and even though her story is different than mine, our PEPS Group was there for both of us. I love that our group can rely on one another and help when we can. With PEPS, I was able to connect with 9 new people that I would trust with my kid. That’s not an easy thing to do.

We stay connected online, and also arrange weekly meetups and share activities, including Preschool Co-op. We are currently planning some kid-free, grownup time together soon. My PEPS Group proved to be my biggest cheerleaders and support system in every way imaginable during a huge transition in my life. Moving to a new city as a new mom, with a baby who constantly kept me guessing, was not an easy thing to do. They have shown me that they have my back, like I have theirs, and I'm grateful to have made these friends through PEPS. My PEPS Group has been a great source of my sense of belonging.

At PEPS, and with your help, we create more than 250 parent support groups each year, serving more than 3,300 new parents, that focus on social connection; just like Tammy’s group. These connections are the foundation for their child’s healthy development and their family’s wellbeing. We believe that every family needs support.

Your financial support of PEPS allows us to strengthen families, increase parental wellness, reduce stress and create supportive communities. The first $5,000 donated to PEPS by 12/31/17 will be matched dollar for dollar by the Apex Foundation, a longtime PEPS partner and supporter. Please don’t delay!

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