Gennao Birth Services will be teaching Your Body, Your Baby, Your Birth as the childbirth curriculum, followed by a Babywearing workshop, and our Newborn Care Class.  Classes will begin on Friday evening, and continue through both weekend days.  This class is perfect for those who don’t have the time to dedicate to weeks of courses, or who may have an imminent due date that doesn’t allow for a longer series.  The class focuses on empowering women to make informed choices throughout their pregnancy, birth, and first few weeks postpartum.

Date:                           February 22^nd through 24^th, 2013

Time:                           February 22^nd              6:30pm-9:00pm

                                    February 23^rd              9:00am-5:00pm

                                    February 24^th               9:00am-4:00pm

Breakfast, lunch, and snacks will be served on both Saturday and Sunday.  The instructors will be dining at a nearby pizza restaurant on Saturday night and all class attendees would be welcome to join them.

Location:                     Quilter’s Harvest Cottage Retreat
2307 State Street, off of S.R. 25W
Shadeland, IN

Cost:                            $185.00 per couple

Requirements:            All couples should bring a three-ring binder for handouts and a notebook for taking notes.  Couples should also bring pillows for labor exercises and wear loose, comfortable clothing.

Contact:                       Please contact Ally Barr, (765) 269-9535, with any questions about this event

Siblings will be allowed to attend these classes on a case-by-case basis.  Please contact Ally Barr to ask about sibling attendance.

The Making Babies workshop will be covering a variety of topics, from infertility to natural family planning.  We will be watching the movie of Making Babies, produced by Shoshanna Easling of Bulk Herb Store.  In the movie, she covers recipes, remedies, herbal concoctions, and info about fertility, conception, morning sickness, and early pregnancy.  We will also be talking about local resources for infertility and pregnancy.  Each couple who attends this workshop will go home with a natural family planning kit that includes ovulation predictor tests and pregnancy tests.  Please come learn with us all about Making Babies.

Date:               February 15^th, 2013

Time:               6:00pm-9:00pm

Location:         St. Elizabeth School of Nursing, Room G941 (ground floor classroom), Lafayette, Indiana

Cost:                $15.00 per couple.  Payment will be accepted at the workshop.

Contact:           Please contact Ally Barr, (765) 269-9535, with any questions about this event

Childcare will not be provided for this event, but children are always welcome at our workshops.  We ask that parents be respectful of others and remove disruptive children if necessary.

NPEN is continuing a time honored tradition again this year.  Modern goddess gatherings are a fun, creative, and all out good time for women to spend time together and celebrate what it is to be a woman! The Winter Solstice is a perfect time to come together in celebration and reflection of this past year and the new one to come.

Join us for this unique night of pampering, reflection, and fun.  Light refreshments will be provided.

Date: December 20th, 2012

Time: 6:oo – 9pm

Location: Purdue Village Community Center
Classroom 129
50 Nimitz Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47906

Dress Code: Black, red or white, gold, green or silver

Cost: $15

Space is limited for this event, therefore we must receive all RSVP’s by December 15th.  Use the form below to secure your spot!

Are you unfamiliar with Christmas Parade?  Follow this link for more information on the parade and other holiday events in Downtown Lafayette

Date: Sunday December 2nd
Time: 2pm
Location: 658 Main St, Suite 216 – the unit right next door to our old space
Downtown Lafayette
Cost: $3 entry donation per family
$1 baked goods and hot chocolate available

As always if you have questions just let us know by filling in the form below!

Through our growth and relocation over the last year we have realized that are several specific areas that we need to focus our attention over the next year.  As we approach our annual board elections in January, NPEN is asking for your help.  If you can fill any of the following needs, or know someone who can we would love to have you on board!

• Marketing – While we have solid support among natural attachment parents within Lafayette we need to continue to reach out to new families and communities effectively.
• Finances/Grant Writing – Staying in the black as a Not For Profit is a tricky endeavor.
• Not For Profit Policy and Legal Experience -While NPEN is built on a level of idealism, we need to continue to place a solid foundation to protect ourselves and our clients as we grow.

Please join us for this informational meeting if you would like further information about NPEN and our future goals.   Print and fill out this application before the call-out meeting.

Board elections will then be held in early January.

Location: Tippecanoe County Public Library
Meeting Room A
627 South Street
Downtown Lafayette

Date: December 10th, 2012

Time: 6-7:30 pm

Feel free to contact us using the form below if you are interested in exploring a role on the board, but are unable to make this meeting.

Even little ghouls and ghosts need a break from trick or treating.  The NPEN studios will be open to help during Operation Trick or Treat.  We will be offering nursing stations, potties, or a quiet place to unwind from the excitement of the evening.

If you do plan on joining Operation Trick a Treat, a donation of one canned food item per child is suggested.  Drop off points are at 11th and Main, and again at 3rd and Main.

When: Friday October 26th

Time: 5-7 pm

Where: Breast Stop located at NPEN Studios
658 Main Street, ste 215
Downtown Lafayette

Operation Trick or Treat:
Main Street
Downtown Lafayette

The Natural Parenting Education Network Has Big News!

Before announcing the exciting changes you will see at the Natural Parenting Education Network (NPEN) over the coming weeks, we would like to remind you of our mission and vision:

Mission

Natural Parenting Education Network of Lafayette is a not-for-profit organization that focuses on empowering women and families to make gentle, conscious, and educated choices during pregnancy, birth, and parenting by providing resources, classes, and support groups from a collaborative group of passionate educators and individuals.

Vision

To enhance the way women and families receive information about birthing and parenting options in the Greater Lafayette area, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or age.

We have found that remaining in our current space at 658 Main Street, Suite 215 requires us to push activities that do not necessarily support our mission in order to maintain financial solvency.  Those activities have decreased time, resources, and volunteer energy that should be spent on supporting our mission.  Failure rates for nonprofits are exceptionally high but NPEN is dedicated to remaining a staple in the Lafayette area for many years to come.  With that goal in mind, NPEN will be relocated effective November 10, 2012.  This will allow our board to focus on capacity building and support of our mission.

At this time, we are evaluating three separate spaces that will allow us to continue to provide the classes and activities that support our mission.  The board of directors will be making a final decision in the coming days and we ask you to watch our website and Facebook page for updates.  We are very excited about these prospects and the positive changes they will bring within NPEN and we hope you are, too!

Change can be confusing so we would like to answer a few of the questions you may have.

What does this mean for the classes and events I love?

We will continue to offer classes and events that support our mission.  This will certainly include, but is not limited to, childbirth education, breastfeeding support, prenatal yoga, and parenting resources.  The events you love at our current location will simply be moved to our new location.  Dates and times for upcoming classes and events will be posted on our website and Facebook page as soon as details are available.

We will be hosting an event on October 10, 2012 featuring local crafts, a silent auction, and more.  We encourage you to bring your family and friends as these items will interest a wide variety of individuals and are a great way to support a local nonprofit while preparing for the holidays.  Donations have been received from national companies, such as Ergo, as well as local businesses including Virtuous Cycles, Genevee’s Studio, The Sunspot Natural Market, and local artisans.  Proceeds of the silent auction will directly benefit NPEN.  Details will be posted on our website and Facebook page.

How can I help during this transition?

Volunteers would be appreciated for assistance in packing and/or moving items to our new space.  Items that we will not require in our new space will be sold or donated; details will be posted on Facebook.  Our entire lending library will be donated to the Teen Parent Initiative (TPI) program at Jefferson High School to support the growing educational partnership between TPI and NPEN.

We will be holding a call-out for board members in December.  We need passionate individuals preferably with professional experience in law, accounting, grant writing, program development, business, or website design.  Details will be posted on our website and Facebook page.  We invite you to think of individuals outside of our immediate network that may help support our board and either notify us of them or vice versa.  Is your uncle an accountant and interested in your growing family?  Perhaps your friend is seeking a degree in nonprofit management?  Send them our way!

As our plans fall into place at our new location, we will request volunteers to fill needs as they arise.

Will NPEN retain their 501(3)c status?

Absolutely!  Your donations will continue to be tax-deductable.  Donations can be submitted via PayPal or mail.

We hope that you are as excited about the upcoming changes as we are!  The Natural Parenting Education Network thanks you for your continued support during this transition.

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors for the Natural Parenting Education Network

Katie Fry, President

Holly Hopkins, Vice-President

Angie Cotton, Treasurer

Kelli Klyczek, Secretary

Julie Stuckey, Media Relations

Date: Wednesday September 26th
Time: 4pm until close
Location:
Puccini’s Pizza
On the Levee on Wabash Landing
746-5000

Puccinis Menu

We are now taking applications for booth spaces available to local area artisans and craft persons.  We hope to showcase all that is made by hand!  If you would like to be a vendor, please download the application with the link below.  Payments for your space can also be made via Paypal, if you so choose.

Date: November 10th
Time: 10am-2pm
Location:
3465 State Road 26 E
Lafayette, Indiana 47905

Are you interested in being a vendor?  We are accepting applications until October 19th.  Feel free to pay by check with your application or paypal below.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us!