Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Rios.
Hi Valerie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Six years ago, my partner and I made the difficult decision to move our small family back to Austin, Texas. Prior to moving to Austin, Texas, I was living in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Upon relocating, I was three years postpartum and I was healing from a difficult postpartum period. For the early part of my career, I had been bouncing back and forth between the for-profit and non-profit sectors and wasn’t sure what my next best step would be.
In 2017, I found PIP. PIP’s mission is to build a village for all new parents in Austin. Our team imagines a world where all future generations are supported by confident and connected parents. PIP’s mission so closely aligns with me because I knew what it was like to weather the storm of being a new parent without my village. Although I had close friends after the birth of our daughter, many of them were in different stages of their lives. I found myself feeling very isolated. The loneliness of the new parent experience, coupled with a few pre-existing factors left me battling postpartum anxiety and later postpartum depression. Without the tools or space to talk about these feelings, I suffered for far too long. When I found PIP, I knew this was the support that I so desperately needed all those years ago. PIP’s mission resonates with me on so many levels. While working for PIP as a program manager, I watched family after family support each other as they weathered the ups and downs of parenting together. I was amazed at each parent’s resilience and I wondered if given support, could I do it again? Sure enough, almost two years ago, I was brave enough to try parenthood again and I can testify that connection makes all the difference. Today, as the Executive Director at PIP, I continue to advocate to build and create a community for all of Austin’s new parents.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Is there an endless character count? Ha. Oh, the struggles. There have been so many, although when I look back, most of my struggles have been me getting in the way of myself. I tend to overthink EVERYTHING. Nowadays, I remember that every now and then I will likely get things wrong and that is ok.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Partners in Parenting?
Partners in Parenting (PIP) is a uniquely crafted postpartum experience for all of Austin’s new parents. We are proud to be one of the only organizations that serve both parents within the home. We offer programs in both English and Spanish. Each family may self-select what they are able to give, opt to sponsor another family or request to join the program with our support package, which includes diapers, wipes, and grocery gift cards.
These days, we work to create villages in Austin by bringing together families on Zoom and WhatsApp (although we intend to transition back to a few in-person groups in the fall of 2021). These new virtual programs allow for connection while also giving each participant the flexibility and convenience they need to participate. Families meet for 8 – 10 weeks together with a trained PIP facilitator who guides them through the PIP program. While we can’t promise a magical experience for every family, the program is most well known for fostering meaningful relationships, sharing some of Austin’s best parenting resources, and relieving some of the overwhelming isolation that most new parents experience. If you know someone who is expecting a child, share PIP with them!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
When the pandemic struck last year, our team knew that pausing service to our PIP families was not an option, especially for those deeply impacted by the pandemic. We recognize that Black and Brown families in our community have been deeply impacted. In order to address the ongoing inequities, we began working together with five other partner organizations in Austin to begin re-envisioning what service provision could look like when offered through an equitable lens. Learn more about this collaboration here: https://www.mhecatx.org/.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Our team continues to see an increase in requests for scholarships and an increase in the need for supplies such as diapers, wipes, and groceries. Please consider donating either funds or time to our organization. More information can be found here: https://www.pipaustin.org/lead-a-group, https://www.pipaustin.org/donate.
We will also be hosting the Birth Awards in September, where we celebrate all the amazing work that birth professionals in Austin do. It is also a great opportunity for companies to sponsor the event and have their brand promoted at the awards and also to the hundreds of families we serve. https://www.atxbirthawards.com/sponsortheawards.
Contact Info:
- Email: val@pipaustin.org
- Website: pipaustin.org
- Instagram: pipatx
- Facebook: pipatx
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5hBWWUCmaW4sjxCzgeuOpg
Image Credits
Taylor Moss, You are Loved Photography Additional photos only
