Dear PEPS Community,

LB Kussick with her husband Steve and son Jack

LB with her PEPS Group (1996)

LB's PEPS Group, Halloween (1996)

LB and the PEPS staff at the PEPS Annual Evening of Appreciation (2015)

Newborn group leader Kaeti celebrating with LB at the Annual PEPS Evening of Appreciation (2015)

As new parents, we believe that we are blessed and should feel blessed. And, of course, we are. But, because of that, the feelings of isolation, stress and insecurity that often come with the birth of a child are overlooked. I had always thought that my own PEPS experience, and the incredible support it provided to our family during that stressful time, was unique to our group. I didn’t truly understand the power of PEPS and how it can transform lives until I joined the organization. In this fast paced world of two working parents, single parents, nuclear families living separate from each other, and support systems scattered, PEPS fills a gap, bringing stability and the strength of community that often lasts years or even decades. The work PEPS does is transformational and should be available to all parents, no matter where they live and no matter who they are.

It is this vision that has driven our work. PEPS has grown 41% over the past four years. While we continue to grow our well-known in-home newborn program, we have successfully launched new programs that allow us to serve more parents in more communities in increasingly diverse environments. Additionally, we have just completed a capital campaign to invest in the infrastructure that will allow us to scale the organization. This means that we can deliver these new increased services efficiently and effectively.

I leave with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for all the amazing people who make the PEPS community strong. As a small nonprofit, we can be thankful that we are financially stable. The future for PEPS is exciting, and I truly believe the organization is poised for greatness. Our volunteers, the backbone of our program, give their time, energy and passion. Every day, our volunteers pay it forward for the next generation of families. Our incredible donors recognize the power of peer support and strong communities in building healthy families and invest their resources in PEPS as a blueprint for success for all new parents. Our Board of Directors give their time, dollars and their expertise, and guide PEPS into the future. And, the PEPS staff, whose dedication, optimism and humor is unparalleled and from whom I have learned every day. Thank you for the privilege of working alongside all of you and for being a part of the PEPS family!

The future for PEPS is exciting, and I truly believe the organization is poised for greatness. The new Executive Director is currently being selected and we will make sure to let you know once the decision is made before the end of the year. I hope you will welcome the next PEPS leader as openly as you have welcomed me 6 years ago.

LB Kussick
PEPS Executive Director