Celebrating the Spirit of PEPS

PEPS Group Leaders, Board Members, volunteers, guest speakers, sponsors and supporters gathered on Friday, May 3 at the Capitol Hill co-working space of our sponsor, The Riveter, for a celebration to recognize our numerous volunteers and supporters. We also honored two 2018 Spirit of PEPS Award recipients. The Spirit of PEPS Award was created in 2011 in honor of outgoing Board member and volunteer, Cliff Meyer, and has been given out annually since to those who have truly gone above and beyond in giving back to PEPS.

PEPS is pleased to present the 2018 Spirit of PEPS Award recipients:

Chezik Tsunoda

Chezik Tsunoda received the 2018 Spirit of PEPS Volunteer Award in recognition of her generous and impactful contributions to PEPS and the families we serve.

Chezik has been a part of the PEPS family since 2011, when she joined her first Newborn Group. She has since participated in a Second Time Around Group and volunteered as a Group Leader for both Newborn and Second Time Around groups. Most recently, Chezik has dedicated her time and energy as a producer and director of two videos, helping to tell the different stories of our various PEPS families, shown at our last two PEPS Benefit Luncheons.

Chezik has told us that she is so grateful to have found the PEPS community, which she says has enriched her life by leading groups and being part of a support system for new parents within the PEPS community. Chezik experienced the devastating loss of her three-year-old son, Yori, last year and was very grateful for the support she received from her PEPS family – from both the women in her groups, as well as the PEPS staff, who continue to hold and encourage her through the dark times.

Chezik continues to make an impact on those who work with her through PEPS. Here’s what her nomination form said, “Chezik is a committed and passionate cheerleader of the PEPS community. She has continuously demonstrated her love of PEPS, community and support for local families…Chezik is also generous, kindly offering up her home as the location for the PEPS Luncheon video filming. She is gracious and courageous, and has been a positive force of change, while recognizing the work that PEPS is doing to learn and being a champion of that change.”

Chezik's dedication to PEPS continues grow through her support as a Sustainer Circle Donor, committing her support for three years at a time, helping us to plan for the future. She remains passionate about education and community with the goal of empowering all parents.

Chezik, thank you for ALL that you do as a mother, partner, friend, PEPS Donor, Volunteer and Group Leader. We truly appreciate your loyal commitment to the PEPS community!

Wendy Powell

Wendy Powell is receiving the 2018 Spirit of PEPS Sponsor Award in recognition of her multi-year generous and impactful investment in and ambassadorship of PEPS.

Wendy is the founder and owner of Childish Things, a resale boutique offering a carefully chosen selection of gently-used items for babies and children (preemie to size eight), maternity, new products and gifts. Since opening the doors in 2008, Wendy has been a generous sponsor of PEPS. Year after year, she gives back to families in our community, and not only to PEPS families.

Wendy’s passion to support families in our area through her store and her involvement with PEPS stems from her belief that ”…there is little that is more important than community when you have children. It is priceless to build community with others who are in that very significant time of your life when things become more different than you’ve ever known.”

Wendy knows firsthand how hard it is to start a parenting journey alone. She participated in a PEPS Group in 2001 with her son, as she had no family in town that could support her here in Seattle. In 2004, she made her first donation to PEPS, and when she opened Childish Things in 2008, she didn’t think twice about supporting PEPS as a business owner. In 2013 she joined our corporate Sustainer Circle, committing her support for three years at a time, thus helping us plan for the future.

With her steadfast and unwavering support, Wendy truly makes an impact in our community. THANK YOU, Wendy! We are so grateful for your loyal commitment to families in our area. Read more about Wendy on our blog, Highs & Lows.