SEQUIM — Parenting Matters founder Cynthia Martin and Sequim mother Nicole Brewer offer a twofold reason to come to the Sequim unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula this Saturday night.
The annual Parenting Matters event, “Step Up to the Plate for Kids,” will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the club at 400 W. Fir St. Tickets are $25 and available by phoning 360-681-2250.
“Step Up” is a fundraiser for a range of services, from parenting classes and the monthly parenting newsletters distributed across Clallam County to the First Teacher library and playroom at the Sequim Community School, 220 W. Alder St.
“Step Up’s” keynote speaker is Vaughnetta J. Barton, executive director of the Foundation for Early Learning in Seattle and a fan of First Teacher.
She has family in Sequim and isn’t charging a fee for her speech.
“I’m not a parent. But I see early learning as something we need to think about not only for today, but for our future,” Barton said in a telephone interview Tuesday.
After all, those preschoolers grow up to be adults who contribute to their hometowns’ quality of life — or not.
Dual purpose
That’s the dual purpose of “Step Up” and of Parenting Matters, Martin said.
Her message is that early learning — and parenting education — are not just a concern for moms and dads, but “an issue the whole community needs to know about.”
Parenting Matters’ offerings have meant a lot to Brewer, who has two daughters, Raimey, 2, and Maia, 10 weeks.
She’s come to First Teacher to meet other parents, participate in the crafts and story times and find books for herself and her children.
Yet Parenting Matters has lost much of the funding it once received from local school districts.
This year, the Sequim district contributed $10,000 and two rooms at the Community School, in contrast with $42,000 of three years ago.
The Port Angeles School District has provided another $10,000, Martin said.
But to meet its goal of serving all of Clallam County with classes, newsletters and children’s activities, she said Parenting Matters’ budget should be $70,000.
So the 20-year-old nonprofit depends on local fundraising events such as Saturday’s “Step Up” — and the parents who have gained from its First Teacher programs and classes are banding together to make it a multifaceted evening.
Food, auction
The “First Teacher Moms” group and Bountiful Baskets, a business owned by supporter Colleen Robinson, will serve generous appetizers — made with fresh ingredients from Nash’s Organic Produce — and homemade desserts.
An auction of gift packages, dinners and home decor is also part of the event, as is free child care on site.
Brewer, for her part, said Parenting Matters activities have made a big difference in her family’s life.
“Earlier this year, I took part in a parenting education class, ‘The Incredible Years.’ I never realized before how important play is — especially unstructured,” she said.
“I learned so much,” she said, adding that her oldest daughter, Raimey, found three new playmates.
“We love the newsletter,” Brewer added. “It really gets at the core of engaging in your child’s life, and the fun that can take place.”
She mentioned such newsletter “tidbits” as “how often to read to [my daughters], and to explain everything I do and see to enlarge their vocabulary and understanding.”
To be added to the mailing list, phone 360-681-2250. Subscriptions are free for Clallam County residents, or $20 elsewhere.
Brewer said, too, that she’s found kindred spirits in the First Teacher room, which is open from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays.
“Parents can drop in and relax, even when we don’t have an activity,” said Martin. In addition to its playroom and adjacent room furnished with couches, First Teacher has a free lending library for parents as well as a big basket of books for preschoolers to enjoy with their families.
When children have a good foundation — from their first teachers, aka their parents — they’re far more likely to do well in grade school, high school, college and life, added Barton.
Those who can’t attend Saturday’s party may send contributions to Parenting Matters at P.O. Box 3323, Sequim, WA 98382.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3550 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.