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Greetings!
As we welcome this new year, we face it with excitement and anticipation of what lies ahead. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season has subsided and we find ourselves looking forward to what is next. It is a time for new endeavors and reinvigoration.
At Parenting Now, we are stepping into the new year with big plans! We are looking forward to reviving our services in Florence, with two new parenting groups staring this month. We are also excited to enter into a new partnership with the 4J school district that will give us an opportunity to work with pregnant and parenting teens.
As beautiful and exciting as the new year is, winter can be a tough time on children and families. The shorter, darker days and cooler, wetter weather tend to keep us more isolated and less active. Parenting Now programs are such a great way to build genuine connections between parents and little ones alike. Many parents who attend our groups maintain the friendships they build for years – even decades – to follow. Our winter parenting groups are starting soon, and we would love for you to join us.
Warmest wishes for a wonderful new year,
Theya Joslin, MPA
Executive Director
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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT PARENTING NOW
Winter Parenting Groups
Start in January
We are pleased to offer parenting groups to families, starting in January, including Incredible INFANTs, Wonderful ONEs, Terrific TWOs, and Thrilling THREEs, as well as Make Parenting A Pleasure. These parenting groups meet in-person and childcare is provided.
For Florence, OR families, we will be offering:
Contact our Enrollment Department to learn more: enroll@parentingnow.org;
541-434-4343.
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WELCOME TO THE TEAM
Give a warm welcome to Parenting Now's newest team members
• Ruby Renfro: Family Support Specialist
• Marcus Escobar: Family Support Specialist
• Zoe Bredeweg: Enrollment and Volunteer Coordinator
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Kiara Dwyer-Wessling
Parenting Educator
Kiara is a Parenting Educator in our First Three Years program. She is brand new to Oregon after growing up in Ohio, going to school at the University of Kentucky, and, most recently, living in Jacksonville, Florida. Her background is in Psychology and French, having taught both subjects at a variety of levels. Kiara loves the application of psychological and social-emotional development in our programs. She loves traveling and discovering new places.
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Megan Murphy
Trainer
Megan Murphy has enjoyed working with children throughout her life. She first worked in early childhood education over eight years ago as a substitute teacher and has since held multiple positions in the field, most recently being a lead Preschool/Pre-K teacher. Her experience in the classroom, as well as her undergraduate degree in Psychology, inspired her to pursue further education in Child Development and to learn how events in these early years can impact an individual.
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On the Blog
Winter Crafts Ideas
As the chill in the air settles in for the winter and we look for ways to stay warm and cozy at home, here are some fun craft ideas to get into the spirit of the winter season. Read more
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CRAFT PROJECT:
Popsicle Stick Snowflakes
You Will Need:
- Colored popsicle sticks
- Tacky glue
- Hot glue sticks and hot glue gun
- Bells
- Glitter
- Pom poms and/or craft foam balls
- Twine for hanging
Use hot glue to stick your popsicle sticks together in the shape of the snowflake, put a small bit of hot glue in between each popsicle stick.
Once done, add a bit of hot glue to the back and add your twine for hanging. Then, your child can decorate their snowflake using pom poms, glitter, sequence, ribbon, etc.
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Craft provided by Children's Program Coordinator,
Kalina Glover-Moresi.
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Handpicked by the children's librarians at Eugene Public Library, here are their winter book recommendations on the theme of "nature."
All Around Us, written by Xelena Gonzalez; illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia. Finding circles everywhere, a grandfather and his granddaughter meditate on the cycles of life and nature.
Animals: Here We Grow, written by Shelley Rotner. Photographs document the life cycle of a variety of mammals, insects, birds, amphibians, and reptiles.
Counting Crows, written by Kathi Appelt. Readers are invited to count hungry crows as they hunt for savory snacks.
Fox: A Circle of Life Story, written by Isabel Thomas; illustrated by Daniel Egneus. Fox teaches her cubs to survive in the wild, until one day she dies. Her body goes back to earth and grass and air, nourishing the world around her, showing that death is also a beginning.
Over in the Forest: Come and Take a Peek, written by Marianne Berkes; illustrated by Jill Dubin. A counting book in rhyme presents various forest animals and their offspring.
The Eugene Public Library is asking Eugene residents to take their survey: "Craft Our Next Chapter." They are planning for the library's future and want to know what's most important to you.
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UPDATES FROM THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM
There is a lot to look forward to in 2023 at Parenting Now. Thanks to the support of donors and foundations we are able to offer a robust lineup of parenting groups for families in Lane County.
In addition, we are looking forward to our Hollywood Lights Night of Hope Auction & Gala on March 3, 2023 at Venue 252. Parenting Now's largest fundraiser of the year includes a cocktail hour, dinner, live auction, King Estate wine, a dessert dash, and more--all to help support families in Lane County. And most importantly, we will be honoring Noreen J. Dunnells as this year's Minalee Saks Champion of Children.
You can reserve your spot, or purchase a table for your organization, friends, and family here.
Thanks to your support we are able to end 2022 on a high note. Through donations to our Healthy Families Holiday Cheer Program we were able to give families in the Healthy Families Lane County program $50 gift cards to use at their discretion—whether for diapers, holiday gifts, groceries, or gas.
We are so grateful for all that you do to support Parenting Now!
Sincerely,
Cat Luna
Interim Director of Development
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WAYS TO SUPPORT PARENTING NOW THIS WINTER
• AmazonSmile donates to Parenting Now when you shop through its website! Create an AmazonSmile account at smile.amazon.com and select Parenting Now as your charity of choice.
• Donate Items for Families: Diapers, baby supplies, and children’s books!
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FOUNDATION SUPPORT
Foundation support helps ensure that families have access to parenting education. Thank you for supporting local families and valuing parenting education!
• Coquille Tribal Community Fund, Make Parenting A Pleasure
• Early Childhood Hub of Lane County (formerly LaneKids), Make Parenting A Pleasure
• McKay Family Foundation, Make Parenting A Pleasure
• PacificSource Foundation for Health Improvement, Make Parenting A Pleasure
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