Celebrating the Spirit of PEPS

The Spirit of PEPS Award was created in 2011 in acknowledgment of outgoing Board member and volunteer, Cliff Meyer, and has been given out annually to those who go above and beyond in giving back to the PEPS community.

PEPS is pleased to present the 2021 Spirit of PEPS Award to: 

Diane Magasich

Diane helping set up for the 2017 Benefit Event

Diane is a huge supporter of PEPS and has been a dedicated volunteer for over 10 years. She is a former PEPS Group participant who continues to get together with her group years later. Diane helps PEPS with office and admin work, doing many of the behind-the-scenes tasks that are essential to keeping the office running smoothly. Before the pandemic, she came to every Annual Benefit Event and helped from morning until afternoon with setting up, greeting guests, cleaning up, and hauling boxes back to the office. In preparation for the annual event, Diane has helped PEPS out with anything we need, like sending out books and thank you notes to table captains and guests.

Diane has also supported PEPS for many years with sending out our monthly birthday mailer to parents with children turning one during the month. She happily took on this task and consistently fulfills this project each month. Diane comes into the office regularly, and her support of PEPS has not faltered during the pandemic. She has helped mail out the Anti-Racist Baby board book that PEPS Group participants and Leaders have received over the past year.

Diane is always a phone call away and ready to support the work PEPS does in any way she can. She is the type of consistent, reliable volunteer that is an amazing asset to any nonprofit. Diane may not do the “splashy” work, but her massive contribution to PEPS is not overlooked!

Diane, thank you for your dedication and efforts in supporting PEPS families!

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RECOGNITION AWARDS

In addition to the Spirit of PEPS Award for Volunteers, PEPS is pleased to award a Group Leader and PEPS Speaker with Recognition Awards in acknowledgment of their contribution, service, and commitment to PEPS. 

The 2021 Leader Recognition Award goes to: 

Stacy Sayles

Stacy and her family.

Stacy Sayles is a PEPS Group Leader who has led a whopping total of 39 groups since 2012! She has supported families as a facilitator for Newborn, Second Time Around, Baby Peppers, and Little Peppers Groups over the course of nine years and is passionate about guiding families through their highs and lows of parenting. We hear from her group participants that she is friendly, responsive, and truly goes out of her way to accommodate the needs of her groups, especially as PEPS pivoted to virtual groups in 2020. She is recognized by her peers and the PEPS community as being an outstanding Leader, consistently leading discussions and creating a fun and safe space for conversation and connection.

Stacy has dedicated hundreds of hours to supporting parents and remains actively engaged with PEPS, whether facilitating  Groups or participating in our Advanced Facilitation Training sessions on topics such as emotional challenges, social identity development, and Developmental Moments.  Not only does she support families in her Groups, she also supports other facilitators, regularly attending online Group Leader chats to connect with fellow Leaders, share resources and information, and learn from others.

Stacy, thank you for your dedication and commitment to PEPS families!

The 2021 Speaker Recognition Award goes to: 

Wendy Bell

Wendy and her family.

Wendy Bell currently works for Seattle Children's Hospital's Speech and Language Services and has been a PEPS Guest Speaker since 2012. She is a regularly requested Speaker by PEPS Groups who ask her to share her knowledge and resources on speech and language development in babies. Participants have shared that she is a fun, kind, and attentive speaker. Not only do our participants learn from her but they also find her presentations engaging and informative. She is an active member of the PEPS community as a donor and event attendee.

Wendy, thank you for sharing your passion and expertise with PEPS families!