Celebrating the Spirit of PEPS

Group leaders, board members, volunteers, guest speakers, sponsors and supporters gathered Friday, May 4 in the Capitol Hill co-working space of sponsor The Riveter for a celebration to recognize our many volunteers and supporters and to honor the 2017 Spirit of PEPS Award recipients. The Spirit of PEPS Award was created in 2011 in honor of outgoing Board member/volunteer, Cliff Meyer, and is given annually to those who have truly gone above and beyond in giving back to PEPS.

PEPS is pleased to present the 2017 Spirit of PEPS Award recipients:

Cindy Harmon

Cindy has been volunteering with PEPS since 2011 and just finishing leading her eighth Newborn Group. She is a thoughtful leader, providing numerous resources to parents, finding ways to support individual needs within groups and offering feedback to PEPS to improve programming and support. In her groups, she is creative with ideas for field trips and topics, and invites her husband, a firefighter, to demonstrate infant CPR.

Accepting her Spirit of PEPS award at the Evening of Appreciation, Cindy shared about loneliness, saying "I had that too. When my first was born, that was a hard time. And two years ago, I went through cancer treatment and there is assuredly nothing more lonely than that. So PEPS for me is a way to pay it forward and to hopefully help someone out of that place."

Cindy added that she thinks it is important I think to give back and to be part of the journey, thinking of the 80 women she has gotten to know by leading groups. "One thing I tell people at our first meeting is PEPS is like a bank account, what you get out of it is what you put into it."

Cindy is a huge cheerleader for both new moms and PEPS. "I do love PEPS," she said.

CAMILLE HEINeN

Camille has supported PEPS for several years with a wide variety of volunteer activities. For several years, Camille led monthly orientations for new parents, introducing them to PEPS and answering questions about how the program works. She began leading Newborn groups in 2007, with more than half a dozen to her name. “I love to run into my PEPS ‘babies’ around town; many of them are in elementary school now,” Camille says. Recently, Camille took on a leadership role with a three-year stint on the PEPS Board of Directors. For two years she acted as the Board’s Secretary position, during which she overhauled communications. She says, “My proudest work on the board was being on the hiring committee that selected Jessica as our new executive director.” Camille has been a patient, friendly, responsible and caring supporter of PEPS in all her work to support the organization.

KIMBERLY AND CHUCK MCDONALD

Kimberly and Chuck have been a part of the PEPS Giving Team for 15 years! It all started when their first daughter was born and Kim joined a PEPS Group in 2002. As their own family has grown over the years, they have helped PEPS grow by generously investing in our work in multiple ways:  Kim has volunteered as a PEPS Group Leader and served as a Table Captain for PEPS fundraising luncheons. Chuck and Kim have committed long term financial support as Sustainer Circle Members, they have invested in the PEPS Growing Impact Campaign to deepen and expand the impact of PEPS for parents, and they were the first family to join our Legacy Circle, including PEPS in their will and leaving a gift for other children and families. They have made PEPS a priority in their philanthropic giving because they know firsthand about the challenges new parenthood can bring and they believe in the power of community during this critical stage of life. With their steadfast and unwavering support and willingness to engage they truly make an impact in our community.

AMANDA SADLIER

A transplant to the Seattle area, PEPS is where Amanda found her parenting village. She has been involved with PEPS since she joined a Newborn Group with her 5-week old daughter in 2012. She began facilitating groups in 2014 and has led a daytime Newborn group and three Second Time Around Groups.

In addition to volunteering, Amanda, as a PEPS Sustainer Circle Member, financially supports PEPS and encourages others to do so in order to grow and sustain this critical network of support. She enjoys seeing friends grow in their parenting journey through support from PEPS and is committed to making the resource available to all parents in our region.