Letter from the Director
Good things come in threes, right? In Latin, this rule is called "omne trium perfectum" which simply means: The rule of three. According to Google, the idea suggests that things “that come in threes are inherently more humorous, satisfying, and effective than any other number of things.”
So if that’s the case, then Babe is in luck! We are in the midst of exciting times. To say that where we are today is nothing short of a miracle would be the understatement of the year. After all, we launched a community-supported nonprofit in the middle of a pandemic. The odds were certainly against us at every level. And yet, here we are! So to kick off this newsletter, I want to share our omne truim perfectum with you. We’ll start this countdown off by going backward with #3.
Exciting news #3: On April 20th, we had a soft opening. This was a long-awaited moment. After two years of planning, opening up the doors to Babe was a huge accomplishment for both me and for all of the people who have worked hard to make this organization a reality. It was a good day! Both our store and our playroom were finally opened to the public. We had several guests and a few reporters stop by for a tour. Families who brought in young children to play received their first coupon. We had numerous compliments about the house and the boutique.
Exciting news #2: We have been busy preparing our Grand Opening which is May 7, 2021. With each passing day, my excitement grows and grows! At 5:00 pm on May 7th, Grow Wabash is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This event is open to the public. Our guest speakers will be Mayor Scott Long and Grow Wabash's President and CEO, Keith Gillenwater. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, we will open the Babe House up for tours, crafts (for the kids), and refreshments. Wabash Marketplace is offering trolley rides that evening and Babe is one of the many stops on the route. We are looking forward to showing off who we are and what we do!
(And drum roll please) Exciting news #1: We are the recipient of a dollar-for-dollar matching grant of up to $50,000! Between May 1st and August 31st, every donation that we received will be matched by a generous donor. We are excited about this opportunity, and we hope that you will help us reach our goal which will enable us to serve more families in Wabash County for years to come.
So you see, good things are happening in threes at Babe. We are beyond excited to have finally launched and have been well received in the community. Be sure to make time in your busy First Friday schedule to stop by the Babe House. We would love to see you and show you around!
Thanks so much, Wabash County, for your continued support. Being able to start an organization like Babe has been a dream come true, and this is only the beginning. The best is yet to come...so stick around to see what good things we will have in store!
Sincerely, Katey Till
Who we are and what we do at Babe?
Babe of Wabash County is a project of the Community Foundation of Wabash County. We serve families with young children who are between the ages of 0-5 years old. 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, and financial classes, plus a number of other support groups and specialty classes. For more information about our store and classes, contact Katey Till at babeofwabashinc@gmail.com. What’s new? Big things are happening every week at Babe. Here are a few of our latest endeavors.
The Playroom is a hit! Not only are both parents and kids enjoying the playroom at Babe, but they have also been earning coupons! Come check us out!
Thank you to Simply Peek, Babe of Whitley County, Babe of Kosciusko County, 2B Car Seat Bibs, and Advantage Housing for the amazing merchandise and housing donations!
We are excited to announce three new vendors! Area Five WIC, The Wabash County Museum, and The Learn More Center are now passing out coupons.
Thank you to Nilsa Brown for the beautiful flowers! Nilsa has been volunteering at Babe on a weekly basis. Last week, she donated and planted flowers in addition to helping to clean the Babe House and stock the boutique.
We welcome Aubrey Till to our Fundraising Committee. Aubrey Till is a 10th grader at Wabash High School. She volunteered on our Open House Committee and then asked to join the Fundraising Committee. It’s always exciting to see our youth take initiative to become active in our community.
What to look for this month?
The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony/Grand Opening/ Open House! For more details, keep scrolling.
T-shirts are for sale at Visit Wabash. $20 a shirt. All of the proceeds go to Babe of Wabash County.
We’re ANNOUNCING It Again!!! Babe of Wabash County is excited to be the recipient of a dollar-for-dollar $50,000 matching grant from an anonymous donor that begins May 1, 2021, and ends August 31, 2021. For every dollar Babe raises, the donor will match it up to $50,000. All donations will directly benefit families and children, ages 0-5, in Wabash County by providing them with essential items such as diapers and clothing, access to educational programming, and opportunities to build connections with others. Donations to help Babe meet its $50,000 goal should be made out to the Community Foundation of Wabash County with Babe of Wabash County in the memo line. To donate now, click HERE.
DON’T FORGET! GRAND OPENING and RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONY!!!!
Grow Wabash is hosting a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony that will be held at 5:00 pm at the Babe House, 88 West Hill Street, Wabash. The community is welcomed and encouraged to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour the building. Refreshments will be offered, the store will be open, and crafts will be available for kids to do. Visit Wabash will offer trolley rides around the downtown area. Babe of Wabash will be a stop on its route. Education Corner
Meet Reba Woodward! Reba will be offering a storytime at Babe called Storytime with Miss Reba.
A native of Wabash, Miss Reba has taught in the Early Childhood field for over 30 years. She has worked at Migrant Head Start in their infant room, toddler room, and preschool. In addition to being a teacher’s assistant at Southwood High School, she has also taught two-year-olds and pre-k. She has an associate's degree in Early Childhood Education, a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, and a master's in Educational Leadership in Early Childhood Education.
Miss Reba’s favorite thing to do in the classroom is circle time. She loves reading stories, doing flannel board activities, singing songs and fingerplays, and using puppets. Children ages 2-5 years old can look forward to a fun, interactive storytime filled with songs, games, and flannel board activities. Miss Reba’s class will begin sometime this summer. The exact date is TBA. Reminder
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. For more information, contact Katey.
Thank you! Thank you again to all of the volunteers that have tirelessly spent their weekends, evenings, and weekdays to help us prepare for our soft and grand openings! We simply could not have done it without you!
Check out our list of community partners who help make our community stronger!
1st Steps Early Intervention
85 Hope Clinic
Area Five WIC
Aubrey the Doula
Bowen Center
Family Optometry
F.I.S.H.
Healthy Families of Area Five
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
The Learn More Center
Tobacco-Free Coalition (Mommy and Me Program)
Wabash Carnegie Public Library
Wabash City Schools/ LH Carpenter Early Childhood Center and Wabash High School)
Wabash County Museum
Thank you to our Board of Directors and Committee Members. You have gone above and beyond in helping bring Babe to fruition.
Matt Stone, Chair
Susan Street, Vice Chair
Lauri Gunderman, Secretary
Jeannine Gleason, Treasurer
Sherry Schoening, Board
Justin Vail, Board
Ben Backer, Board
Courtney Backer, Board
Amy LePage, Board
Katie Denger, Board
Lori Franzen, Committee
Katie Cromer, Committee
Jennie Terrell, Committee
Aubrey Till, Committee
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 babeofwabashinc@gmail.com (260) 274-0158 Office Phone 88 West Hill St. Wabash, IN 46992 www.babeofwabashcounty.org https://www.facebook.com/Babeofwabash