Note from the Director
Greetings from Babe of Wabash County! As the weather continues to get warmer and warmer, the opening date for Babe gets closer and closer. We have so many great things happening, including one big announcement! Keep reading to find out!
This month we’ve taken giant steps towards opening our doors on April 20th. That's right folk! We are opening up in just two short weeks and I can’t wait to share all of the updates! After nearly two years of preparation, as well as weathering the odds of starting a new nonprofit during a global pandemic, we are beyond excited to finally and officially greet the public! Check out our new hours below. Babe coupons are now in distribution! Check out the list (under the Thank You heading) to see where you can begin collecting them. Thank you to our community partners for distributing coupons and working every day to make our county a better place to live! Lastly, did someone say, "BIG ANNOUNCEMENT?" That's right, we have GIANT news! We are busting at the seems to tell you about this amazing opportunity we've been given! Keep scrolling down to find out.
Thanks again for all of the amazing support we have received as we begin a new phase of Babe of Wabash County! We cannot express how very blessed we are to be able to begin our journey as a brand new organization and the positive impact we plan to make in our county!
Sincerely,
Katey Till Executive Director Say it again, What is Babe of Wabash County? Babe of Wabash County is a project of the Community Foundation of Wabash County with our own 501c3 status pending. We serve families who have young children who are between the ages of 0-5 years old, as well as pregnant women. We encourage and incentivize families to use the services already established in Wabash County that promote good health, education, and connection. Families can earn coupons by receiving services from partnered community organizations and businesses that promote and offer services that align with our values. They can redeem these coupons in our store for brand new baby items. In addition to helping with a financial need, Babe will also offer classes to families that teach good parenting and life skills, literacy education skills to young children, plus a number of other support groups and specialty classes. For more information about our store and classes, contact Katey Till. What’s new?
It’s been a busy month indeed! Check out what we've been up to since February.
Babe of Wabash County successfully submitted our 1023 application which means we are awaiting approval from the IRS on our 501c3 status!
Coupons are now available for distribution!!! Click here to see a list of partnering organizations.
We received two large donations of clothing from Simply Peek (an online clothing store) and Babe of Whitley County. We have several brand named items including Nike, Adidas, and Children's Place.
We are so excited to be partnering with the United Fund of Wabash County. The United Fund was given top-quality teaching tools and toys from different preschools in Indiana. The toys were brought over to Babe of Wabash County, where they will be used in classes and available for our patrons to use during playtimes. Thank you to Steve Johnson and Di Wion!
4 professional painters contacted Babe to donate one full day of painting. Some of the painters continued to paint in the days after to finish the job. Four spaces in the Babe House received a fresh coat of paint. Our volunteer painters are the same artists who painted the Eagles Theater. Thank you, Ashley Graves, Debbie Nordman, Angie Delaughter, and Nancy New!
Welcome, Katie Cromer and Jenny Terrell! Katie and Jenny are volunteering their time to help with our fundraising committee!
SEVERAL volunteers, including teens from Wabash High School’s FCA volunteered to help during our March workdays. They helped us prepare our building for volunteer painters and carpet cleaners. They returned three weeks later to help set up our store and educational areas.
What to look for in the upcoming months
Our Opening Date will be Tuesday, April 20th! Hours: Tuesdays, 10:00 am- 4:00 pm. Additional days and hours TBA. Educational classes opening date TBA.
Open House! Come visit us during our open house on May 7th. A tour, refreshments, and crafts will be available. The open house will be from 5:00-8:00 pm at our location, 88 West Hill Street.
T-Shirts for Sale! Our Babe T-shirts will soon be available at the Wabash Visitor Center located at 221 S Miami St, Wabash, IN 46992. They will also be available at our booth on May's First Friday. The shirts cost $20.
The Adventures of Lucy and Babe! Be sure to check out our social media page (Facebook and Instagram). Lucy, our director’s dog, has been taking our followers on an adventure through the Babe House and giving them a “dog’s eye point of view” describing the mission of Babe. She is also giving a weekly behind the scene look at all of the work going on.
Our BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
Babe of Wabash County is excited to announce that we are the recipient of a dollar-to-dollar $50,000 matching grant from an anonymous donor that begins May 1, 2021, and ends August 31, 2021. For every dollar we raise, our donor will match it up to $50,000. Your donation will not only help us reach our goal of $50,0000, but it will also provide a strong foundation for hundreds of children in our beloved community.
Smaller announcement!
A change in address. The county commissioner recently contacted us to apologize for the mix-up of addresses. Our true address is 88 West Hill St, Wabash, IN 46992. We’re glad that’s cleared up! Education Corner
Meet one of our many teachers: Lori Franzen
Lori is a graduate of Wabash High School, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Purdue University, and is an AMS certified Montessori teacher for 3-6-year-olds. She is a stay-at-home mom to her daughter, Leona, who was born in 2019. She loves baking, singing, and spending time with her family. This spring Lori will be offering a class for parents only called Independent Kids, Happier Parents: Everyday Life with A Montessori Twist.
Have you found yourself feeling overwhelmed by balancing caring for your children and preparing dinner? Do you find transitions like leaving the house or getting ready for bed to be frustrating and tiresome? We have all been there and this class is for you! Independent Kids, Happier Parents: Everyday Life with A Montessori Twist will provide you with ideas to make your home more accessible to your child, involve them in daily life, and create more opportunities for independence. We hope to alleviate some of the stress around your routines and strengthen the trust and respect between you and your child.
Our goal is to provide realistic examples (for a wide range of budgets) to encourage and promote the independence of children. We want children to be seen as valuable members of the family, which increases their self-esteem and promotes cooperation. Independence in children also relieves some of the pressure placed on parents to do things for their child, which in turn gives them more time. We hope to show that with some small changes to the home, and a bit of time for preparation, parents will reap the benefits of less stress and a more capable child. Reminder
Start collecting your coupons!!! Check out our website for a list of community partners. Click here for a complete list of vendors.
Become a Coupon Vendor!! Let us help you promote and incentivize the services you provide by passing out our coupons. Our coupons are specifically designed to reward families for using the services already being provided in Wabash County that promotes good health, education, and connection.
Volunteers are needed! We welcome anyone who is interested in working with families with small children. Some of the jobs that we will need help with include cleaning, sorting, and organizing merchandise, pricing, and stocking. We are also looking for warm, smiley, and caring individuals who are interested in helping to run our front desk. All volunteers must be willing to submit a background check.
Contact Katey Till for more information about becoming a coupon vendor or volunteering.
Donate Today
If you are interested in investing in the positive change we are making in our community, click HERE to donate. Thank you for your support and for making a positive difference for families and children in our community! Thank you!
Thank you to all of the volunteers who have come multiple times over the past several months, to help us get our building ready! We appreciate and value all of the time you've given (weekends, evenings, and weekdays) to help us prepare for our grand opening and beyond! We want to also thank Wabash High School's FCA, our volunteer painters, and carpet cleaners for all of your hard work in March. We simply could not have done it without all of you!
Check out our list of community partners! They are now handing out Babe coupons. Thank you for partnering with us to help make our community stronger!
1st Steps Early Intervention
85 Hope Clinic
Area Five Agency, Healthy Families
Area Five Agency, WIC
Aubrey the Doula
Bowen Center
Family Optometry
F.I.S.H.
Hoosier Chiropractic
Parkview Wabash Health Clinic/ Dr. Rafael Jose Nunez-Alvarado
Parkview Wabash OB/GYN, Dr. Jonathan Larsen
Playhouse Studio of Dance
PPG/OBGYN/ Shelly Boone
Roann Paw Paw Township Public Library
Tobacco-Free Coalition (Mommy and Me Program)
Wabash Carnegie Public Library
Wabash City Schools/ LH Carpenter Early Childhood Center
Wabash County Museum
Thank you to our Board of Directors. You have gone above and beyond in helping bring Babe to fruition:
Matt Stone
Susan Street
Lauri Gunderman
Jeannine Gleason
Justin Vail
Ben Backer
Courtney Backer
Amy LePage
Katie Denger
Sherry Schoening
And finally, thank you to all who have supported us with your financial gifts/donations or your kind words and prayers.
Contact Information
Katey Till Executive Director 88 West Hill St. Wabash, IN 46992 Office Phone: (260) 274-0158 Email: babeofwabashinc@gmail.com www.babeofwabashcounty.org