Contact: Melissa Ford melissa@cfwabash.org
For Immediate Release
Date: 07/23/20
Babe of Wabash County to Host Fundraiser to Establish a Babe Store
Babe of Wabash County, a fiscally sponsored nonprofit of the Community Foundation, will be hosting a fundraiser on Monday, August 3rd to raise money to establish a Babe Store in Wabash County. The mission of Babe of Wabash County is to create positive, healthy family cultures through building community connections, providing educational materials, and offering resources for families in Wabash County. All contributions to the Babe of Wabash County Fund at the Community Foundation will be used to support the charitable programs and activities of the Babe Store.
Katey Till, the founder of Babe of Wabash County, wanted to bring a Babe Store to our community due to her passion for assisting pregnant women, new mothers, and families with young children by helping to provide them with the resources and tools to provide a healthy and supportive environment for babies and young children. Till draws her inspiration for the Babe Store from Babe of Whitley County, founded in 2001, which helps 1,200 individuals annually in Whitley County and has dozens of community partners. Till says,
"My goal for Babe of Wabash County is to help give families an accumulative advantage from the moment they find out they are pregnant until their child starts Kindergarten. We not only want to serve as a resource for families but be a place where moms and dads can come and be part of a community that is welcoming and non-judgmental. Everything Babe of Wabash County does is for the benefit of young children. We want to give children a great start to life, so that when they are ready to start school, they have already been set up for success."
Babe of Wabash County will be comprised of two programs. The first program is the Babe Store, which is incentive-based and is designed to provide items including diapers and wipes to families with tangible needs. Instead of paying for these items with cash, items will be provided in exchange for coupons which are earned at partnering community vendors, which include any organization that promotes good health, education, and connection. For example, when a parent takes their child to the library for story-time, they may receive one or more coupons for each eligible child. The second featured program is education and community-based and includes classes and support groups for pregnant women and families with children from ages zero to five. Some of these classes may include children learning through play and stations, a Learning Lab, Playdates, and a Mom's group. Till also hopes to offer classes that teach good nutrition.
Currently, Babe of Wabash County is working to organize an online mom's group that can meet on a virtual platform in addition to organizing online live chats through Facebook for family participation. If you are interested in these virtual sessions, check out Babe of Wabash County's Facebook page! In regard to fundraising and donations, Till says Babe of Wabash County's greatest needs are monetary donations and a location to get the store off the ground. Anyone interested in permanently or temporarily donating or offering space for rent to Babe of Wabash County can contact Katey Till at babeofwabashinc@gmail.com.
The fundraiser will take place on Monday, August 3rd, from 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. at the 13-24 Drive-In in Wabash. The movie showing will be Shrek. For individuals unable to attend the fundraiser, donations can be made through the Community Foundation website, cfwabash.org, or mailed to the Community Foundation at 105 West Second Street, Suite 100, North Manchester, IN 46962.