Welcome Back

This month, as we close out 2024, we are so grateful for your personal connections and support. This month, to further highlight connections, we are shining a spotlight on partner resources, volunteers, and tips for navigating what can be a challenging season for mental health.

This holiday season, we are reaching out to ask for your support. We are funded through donations, and a gift today will help us answer the call to serve more parents than ever in 2025. Here is what people are saying about our life-saving services:

“Finding out about this organization was a huge turning point for me. I was so desperate to find someone to talk to but it felt nearly impossible, especially with how sad I was feeling at the time. I've told numerous people about PS-WA since then because it was so incredibly helpful during such a difficult period.”

Here’s how your gift can help us answer every parent’s call:

$50 can provide resources for a peer support group session.
$100 can help fund a Warm Line call for a parent in need of emotional support.
$250 can help provide free training for a new therapist.
$500 can provide ongoing therapy for a parent in need.

Please support us with a gift in honor of the season of giving.

In appreciation,

-Perinatal Support Washington staff and volunteers

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Volunteer Spotlight

The Parent Support Warm Line is often our entry point to all of the services we offer. The Warm Line is answered by staff and volunteers who share life experiences with our callers. By providing peer support, no caller ever feels alone or misunderstood.

We wanted to highlight the personal experiences of a long-time volunteer, Nicole Noone, including what led her to the Warm Line and what she wants other parents to know. Because of Nicole's personal lived experience with loss, having her be there for others as an experiential match is so important, and because of Nicole, we are able to meet that need for so many parents.

"There is hope, and help, out there. With the right support, things will get better and reaching out for that support is an incredibly courageous thing to do"

To read the full interview click the button below, and if you would like to volunteer, please reach out to Victoria, our Senior Warm Line Program Manager, at Victoria.Cherniak@perinatalsupport.org

Read Full Interview

Partner Spotlight

Family Ways is a family support program providing culturally relevant pregnancy and parenting services, health education, resource navigation, and peer support for pregnant persons and parenting families with children up to age five. All services are culturally relevant, participant-centered, and strengths-based, with peer community specialists representing the communities served, as well as a skilled clinical team which includes a public health nurse, social worker, and registered dietician. Their three focus populations are: American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and U.S. born Black/African American.

Family Ways visits with families at a location convenient for them including their home, libraries, public health clinics and more. Families are eligible for Family Ways services if they live in King County, self-identify as a member of one of their focus populations, and are currently pregnant or are parenting a child up to age 5.

Their peers partner with families to support them in accessing critical resources and supports, navigating challenging systems, and providing pregnancy and parenting education and support.

More info on their website HERE

Our staff would like to share some tips and tricks that get them through this stressful time of year.

The holiday season comes with its own set of stressors and expectations, both internally and externally. Being overwhelmed by these holiday-related stressors can lead to symptoms of seasonal depression, which can be compounded with other mental health challenges. Here are some tips and resources from PS-WA staff.

Remember that overdrive is overrated. Take a look at your calendar/to-do list, and see how many things you can just...not do.⁠
The days are short, so when the sun does come out, try to prioritize getting outside for walks. Making my own holiday wreath also gives me extra motivation to get out to the woods to harvest materials for my project.
There are so many obligations around the holidays, and I decided to take back some of my power around them in the past few years. For example, my family does a gift exchange that actually really stresses me out, so last year, I just let folks know I wouldn't be participating. It ruffled some feathers, but it felt really clear that it was the best choice for me, and now it's just not an issue anymore!
Remember what brings you joy - getting outside, lighting candles, living with intention, and setting boundaries.
Mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation have done wonders for me. Also, trying to remind myself that "this too shall pass," and spring will come again soon.

To get emotional support from a peer, please call or text our Parent Support Warm Line at 1-888-404-7763.

Or, if you are in crisis, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Parent Support Warm Line 1-888-404-7763

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With your support, we can shine a light on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and give families the care they need. Please support our lifesaving services.

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