Babe of Wabash County (Babe), a new organization in Wabash County, is excited to announce that they are 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, their 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.
What is Babe of Wabash County? There are two components to Babe; the store and educational classes. When families participate in activities that benefit their children, such as taking their children to the library or to the doctor, they will receive a coupon from that vendor. Items at the Babe store including diapers, wipes, and clothing can then be “purchased” by families through the exchange of coupons. Additionally, families will be able to take classes around topics like nutrition and parenting, and children will be able to take classes like storytime. Babe is not an income-based organization, meaning all families regardless of income are welcome to take classes, shop in the store, and find support and connection from one another.
The journey to bring Babe to Wabash County began in June of 2019. Babe soon became a fiscally sponsored project of the Community Foundation of Wabash County in order to operate under the Foundation’s tax exempt status and issue donors receipts for their gifts. In February of 2021, Babe submitted their own 501c3 application to the IRS and are awaiting approval. Until then, the Community Foundation is happy to continue to accept donations on behalf of Babe of Wabash County.
Katey Till is the founder and director of Babe of Wabash County. She was inspired to establish Babe in Wabash due to her own positive experiences with Babe of Whitley County. “When my children were young, financially providing for our family was a challenge. My husband was (and still is) a teacher, while I chose to stay home with our three children. Thankfully, I was introduced to the Babe Store in Whitley County and found a community of support.” With money being tight in those days, Till expresses how important it was to have a place like Babe. She said that it made a huge difference for their family. Till further states, “I could receive things I needed for my children in exchange for coupons I earned by taking my daughters to the library for storytime. Earning coupons was so easy and I never had to buy things like diapers for my youngest child because of Babe.”
Babe of Wabash County had a soft opening on April 2oth and is planning to host a Grand Opening and Open House on First Friday, May 7th, between 5:00 pm- 8:00 pm. Grow Wabash is hosting a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony that will be held at 5:00 pm at the Babe location, 88 West Hill Street, Wabash. The community is welcomed and encouraged to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony and to tour the building. Refreshments will be offered, the store will be open, and crafts will be available for kids to do. Wabash Marketplace is offering trolley rides during First Friday events. One of the stops the trolley will make is at Babe during the open house. Babe is currently partnered with 20 various coupon vendors around Wabash County and families can begin collecting coupons now. A list of vendors who are currently passing out coupons can be found on the organization’s website at www.babeofwabashcounty.org. The store hours are currently every Tuesday, 10:00 am-4:00 pm, and additional store hours and days will be added over time. Classes have not yet begun, but Till says that they plan to start classes in early summer.
So how can you help? Babe is 100% community supported, and starting May 1st until August 31st, your support of Babe will be doubled! To help Babe of Wabash County meet their $50,000 matching grant goal, you can do so by donating directly to the Community Foundation at www.cfwabash.org. Checks can also be sent to the Community Foundation at 105 W. 2nd Street, Suite 100, North Manchester, IN 46962. Be sure to write Babe of Wabash county on the memo line. If you are interested in becoming a vendor or a volunteer, contact Katey Till at babeofwabashinc@gmail.com.