About Us

From 15 moms to 2,000+ caregivers!

Petworth Peanuts is a 100% volunteer-based 501c3 organization that connects and supports Petworth-area parents of young children (newborn to ~5 years of age). Peanuts programs include: the newborn cohort program, community service initiatives, the continuing education speaker series, social events and play dates, as well as a a variety of free and discounted parenting resources. Peanuts membership starts at just $35 per year and is designed to be accessible to all.

how it began

Peanuts was created in March 2020 by two new moms. "Cohort 1" began with just 15 post-partum women and included weekly Zoom sessions with subject matter experts, including lactation consultants, pelvic floor therapists, yoga instructors, baby sign language specialists, and more. Recognizing the demand for an accessible caregivers' support organization in the community, Peanuts began meeting in-person and hosting free member and community events and service initiatives. Peanuts also grew its membership to include dads, adoptive parents, and all caregivers of babies and toddlers.

As of Fall 2023, Peanuts has directly supported over 2000+ caregivers in our Newborn Cohort program with 500+ active member families with older babies and toddlers. Plus, over 7,000 area residents have enjoyed our FREE community events! Peanuts continues to experience exponential growth and we're so excited to continue to expand our caregiver and community impact!

Our future

Peanuts is now a 501c3 organization and will always remain accessible to all Greater Petworth-area caregivers interested in education, socialization, and community service.

Unlike similar organizations, our dues are only $35 per year per family - and we don't charge admission to our community events - so we need your help to continue to be able to provide services to the Petworth caregiver community.

Click here to help Petworth Peanuts continue our work,

and click here to become a Peanut!

Meet the Volunteer Peanuts Board

Megan McCune, President

Megan is a mom of two (including John from Cohort 1, and Lizzy from the February 2023 cohort!), and is originally from Oklahoma but has lived in DC for over 15 years. Megan works in international development operations full-time, but is most energized by growing/supporting Peanuts, event planning, building crazy costumes, traveling, entertaining, and spending time with family and friends. Megan is also a board member of Uptown Community Initiative and is passionate about serving the families and businesses of Greater Petworth community.

Brittany Kademian, Vice President

Brittany is mom to Leo (almost 4) and Luca (almost 2), as well as a crazy longhaired mini dachshund named Otto (6). She was in Peanuts cohorts 1, 2, 7, and 8, and is passionate about giving back to Peanuts because it gave so miuch to her family - friendships, parenting advice, the ability to organize fun and creative neighborhood events, and a community to get through the pandemic together. Brittany works in national security as her day job; she has lived in Petworth for a decade, and is also the ANC Commissioner for 4C05 (Grant Circle), through which she advocates DC government to improve both traffic safety and playgrounds in Petworth.

Juliana Israel, Secretary

Juliana is a mom to 2 amazing kids, Elliot (cohort 1) and Milo (cohort 10) and is so grateful to Petworth Peanuts for helping her to survive new parenthood during the pandemic, and the wonderful friendships formed. Originally from North Carolina, Juliana has lived in DC for 10 years and works in marketing.

Margherita Melillo, Member Development & Outreach

Margherita is a mom of one (Bruno from April 2023 cohort). She is
Italian, married a Brit, and has lived in DC since 2020. As someone relatively new to the city and still building her local support network, she found great joy in joining Petworth Peanuts, and is
looking forward to contributing to its growth and flourishing. During
working hours, Margherita is a lawyer and works in a research center in global health law at Georgetown University.

Sarah Jaffe, Treasurer

After living in Miami most of my life, my husband and I moved to DC in 2020 to start new jobs. We really fell in love with the area and decided to move into the neighborhood last year. We joined Petworth Peanuts shortly after our 9 month old daughter, Sophia, was born. Petworth Peanuts has really provided a sense of community for my family and we’ve loved attending so many of their awesome events! Some of our favorite pastimes include going on walks and exploring new restaurants in the city. We also love traveling any chance we get!

La'Tise Tangherlini, Community, Equity and Belonging

La'Tise is a mom of one lovely, amazing kiddo, Alessandro, and she's excited to welcome a new addition to the family in 2024! She first began her journey in DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives while working at a law firm, where she served as the President of both the Black and Latino Subcommittee and the Veterans Association. La'Tise is dedicated to ensuring that all residents of Petworth have equal access to the amazing resources in our community, especially those offered through Petworth Peanuts!

Teodora Dimitrov, Communications

Teodora (Teddy) is a mom of two! Born and raised in Bulgaria and now living in our nations’s capital. Teddy works at a nonprofit organization as a communications manager and is a part of a team that helps those in need get access to various services. Hobbies include traveling (kidding, who has time for that with young kids), cooking, spending time with family, and volunteering at Petworth Peanuts!

About Us

how it began

Our future

Meet the Volunteer Peanuts Board

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