Author: babewc

Families will be able to see their baby or child’s name written on a sign, hear their name spoken and participate in a bubble release at the conclusion of the walk.

[COLUMBIA CITY, IN] – Whitley County’s third annual Pregnancy and Child Loss Remembrance Walk will be held on Saturday, April 27 at Morsches Park beginning at 11:00 AM. This one-mile walk is being provided for free by BABE of Whitley County for anyone in the community or surrounding areas who would like to attend.

“Losing a pregnancy, a baby or a child is incredibly heartbreaking,” says Laura Tucker, executive director of BABE of Whitley County. She continues, “It’s something that, unfortunately, not a lot of people feel like they can talk about. We created this walk to help provide a space for grieving and healing for families.”

The path of the one-mile walk will be lined with signs for each family with their baby or child’s names written on them, along with “We walk for the steps they will never take” at the bottom. Once the walk concludes, each baby or child’s name will be read aloud before a  bubble release will conclude the event. Tucker noted that they’ve used balloons for the past two years, but made a change to bubbles as an effort to be more environmentally friendly. Families will also have an opportunity to get their family photo taken with their sign for no additional cost.

Tucker also added that the event would not be possible without their host sponsor, Columbia City Iron & Metal, LLC.

To register for the walk, visit babewc.org/walk or contact Laura Tucker directly at laura@babewc.org. BABE is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5:30 pm at 605 Forest Parkway in Columbia City.

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ABOUT WHITLEY COUNTY BABE

BABE of Whitley County is a non-profit organization in Whitley County that serves over 1200 people regularly. BABE provides quality incentives to parents who participate in preventive and prenatal care, including parenting, educational and nutritional classes to promote a healthy pregnancy, healthy birth outcomes, and early childhood development. In exchange for participating in preventive and prenatal care, participants are given a BABE Coupon that can be used to “purchase” diapers, wipes, clothes, strollers, and more at BABE’s store located in Columbia City. BABE also hosts various mom groups and activities, and programs to support the families who need it most. Learn more at www.babewc.org.

Unprecedented growth brings new challenges and opportunities for BABE of Whitley County.

[COLUMBIA CITY, IN] – “I’ve never seen so many new families sign up for services than I have in the past six weeks,” Laura Tucker, executive director of BABE of Whitley County, says about their recent growth.

BABE of Whitley County is a non-profit organization that aims to connect parents to community resources that will help give their babies a healthy start in life.

According to their website, BABE was created as an incentive program twenty years ago to combat the county’s record number of low birth-weight babies by helping provide education and resources to pregnant women. As of 2019, Whitley County has the second lowest percentage of babies with low birth weight (5.8%) compared to the other counties in Indiana.

While still providing this incentive program, BABE has continued to evolve to meet the needs of Whitley County families to ensure that children have the best possible start in life.

“Connecting moms with the resources they need, like nutrition classes and counseling services, or showing them the many, many ways Whitley County supports families has always been the goal,” said Tucker. She continued, “Now, we’ve created a space where families, specifically mothers, can regularly connect with other families.”

Recently, BABE was temporarily relocated to a few rooms at Columbia City United Methodist Church in Columbia City after their long-time rented building was no longer available to them to rent. Tucker describes the relocation as an eye-opening realization that a bigger space is needed. “The inventory of diapers alone takes up one entire wall in one of the rooms,” she added.

Tucker and her board of directors recently launched a fundraising campaign to fund a new location. While the location has yet to be determined, they have some opportunities in the community. “The first step is raising the awareness and funds for this project to see what’s possible before we set our sights on the exact location,” said Tucker.

They hope to raise $175,000 through their building fund titled “Like the families we serve, BABE is growing.” When asked about the growth at BABE, Tucker said she has seen a significant increase in families using the incentive program and attending classes at BABE. “It’s exciting to see all of the families using the incentive program because that means we have families going to their doctor’s appointments, attending classes, going to counseling, taking their kids to the library, and making all kinds of healthy choices that are benefiting their children and the future of Whitley County,” Tucker added.

The Community Foundation of Whitley County has contributed to the building campaign with the first $50,000. “Support from the Community Foundation is huge for us,” said Christy Phend, chairperson of the board of directors at BABE. She continued, “For years now, the Community Foundation has helped donors find the most impactful way to make a real difference for the people in Whitley County. Phend added, “They know BABE is enriching the lives of families, and we’re grateful for their help along the way.”

To donate to BABE’s building fund, visit babewc.org/growing or contact Laura Tucker directly at laura@babewc.org. BABE is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5:30 pm at 605 Forest Parkway in Columbia City.

More than $12,400 raised in annual photo contest for Whitley County Families

[COLUMBIA CITY, IN] – BABE of Whitley County, a non-profit organization that provides resources and a community for Whitley County families, raised more than $12,400 in its annual Cutest Kid Contest.

The contest included six age categories for children, newborns through age six and one grand prize winner. This online contest and fundraiser allowed families to upload a photo of their child, and then ask friends and families to vote for one dollar per vote.

According to Executive Director Laura Tucker, since switching to an online contest, this has become one of BABE’s most successful fundraising events in the past few years. Before 2020, this contest included in-person voting only at the Whitley County 4-H Fair.

“The online voting makes it so easy for families to participate. Once you’ve entered your child, you can easily share the voting link to social media,” said Tucker. “It also helps us get more exposure to families in Whitley County so they’ll become familiar with the services we provide,” Tucker added.

The winners of the 2023 Cutest Kid Contest by BABE of Whitley County are as follows:

The grand prize winner of the 2023 BABE’s Cutest Kid Contest is Lainey, entered by Cole Hinen! Lainey will receive 100 diapers, a $100 Target gift card, a photo session, five BABE coupons, a $20 Dairy Queen gift card, and a special trophy. The 0 – 1 year old category winner is also Lainey entered by Cole Hinen. The runner-up is Swayzee, entered by Katy Kuckuk.

The 1 – 2 years old category winner is Claire, entered by Laura Leffler. The runner-up is Bradley, entered by Kaitlyn Sproles.

The 2 – 3 years old category winner is Harlan, entered by Michaela McIntosh. The runner-up is Cora, entered by Amy Johnston.

The 3 – 4 years old category winner is Maeva, entered by Alex Martin. The runner-up is Laylah, entered by Shala Richardson.

The 4-5  years old category winner is Jesse, entered by Amy Johnston. The runner-up is Hudson, entered by Danielle Smethers

The 5 – 6 years old category winner is Rebecca, entered by Emily Day. The runner-up is Annabelle, entered by Ramona Goldwood.

To learn more about the services provided by BABE of Whitley County, please visit babewc.org. You can also visit BABE on Wednesdays and Thursdays from Noon – 5:30pm at 533 N. Line Street in Columbia City.

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ABOUT WHITLEY COUNTY BABE

BABE of Whitley County is a non-profit organization in Whitley County that serves over 1200 people. BABE provides quality incentives to parents who participate in preventive and prenatal care, including parenting, educational and nutritional classes to promote a healthy pregnancy, healthy birth outcomes, and early childhood development. In exchange for participating in preventive and prenatal care, participants are given a BABE Coupon that can be used to “purchase” diapers, wipes, clothes, strollers, and more at BABE’s store located on Line Street in Columbia City. BABE also hosts various mom groups and activities, and programs to support the families who need it most. Learn more at www.babewc.org.

BABE of Whitley County, a non-profit organization that provides resources and a community for Whitley County families, kicked off their 10th annual Cutest Kid Contest today, July 15. This contest includes six age categories for children newborn through age six. Families can upload a photo of their child for the contest and cast votes for one dollar each.

Since switching to an online contest, this competition has become one of BABE’s most successful fundraising events in the past two years. Before 2020, this contest included in-person voting only at the Whitley County 4-H Fair.

“Finding an online platform to make this easier for parents, grandparents and everyone who votes has really contributed to the success of the fundraiser,” said Laura Tucker, Executive Director of BABE of Whitley County. “It’s easy for people to share on Facebook, which helps us with exposure to BABE and the resources we provide to families,” Tucker added.

Last year, the contest raised more than $12,000. All proceeds from this contest will benefit BABE of Whitley County and the resources they provide for more than 1200 families in Whitley County.

The Cutest Kid Contest runs now through Friday, July 22 at 11:59 PM and can be found at babewc.org/cutest2022

To learn more about the services provided by BABE of Whitley County, please visit babewc.org. You can also visit BABE on Wednesdays and Thursdays from Noon – 5:30pm at 533 N. Line Street in Columbia City.

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ABOUT WHITLEY COUNTY BABE

BABE of Whitley County is a non-profit organization in Whitley County that serves over 1200 people. BABE provides quality incentives to parents who participate in preventive and prenatal care, including parenting, educational and nutritional classes to promote a healthy pregnancy, healthy birth outcomes, and early childhood development. In exchange for participating in preventive and prenatal care, participants are given a BABE Coupon that can be used to “purchase” diapers, wipes, clothes, strollers, and more at BABE’s store located on Line Street in Columbia City. BABE also hosts various mom groups and activities, and programs to support the families who need it most. Learn more at www.babewc.org.

[COLUMBIA CITY, IN] – Close to 120 people came together on Saturday for Whitley County’s first Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Walk at Morsches Park. This free event was hosted by BABE of Whitley County, a non-profit organization that provides resources and a community for Whitley County families.

The path of the one-mile walk was lined with signs for each family with their baby’s names written on them, along with “We walk for the steps they will never take” at the bottom. DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home released a dove to open the event. Once the walk was concluded, each baby’s name was read aloud, and Amanda Daniels shared her story of loss and hope before a balloon release concluded the event.

“Our goal was to bring awareness to something so many women go through but don’t talk about,” said Laura Tucker, Executive Director of BABE. She continued, “One participant emailed me afterward to thank us for having the children’s names spoken with love and dignity. It moved me to tears to know this meant so much for families.”

The walk also included a resource area where families could learn more about BABE and local partners who can come alongside families when experiencing loss.

Tucker added that she wanted to thank the four leading sponsors of the event; 80/20, All Pro Towing, Columbia City Iron & Metal, and Jarhead Hauling & Junk Removal. This event was free for the public for anyone who wanted to attend. BABE is planning on having this event again next April.

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ABOUT WHITLEY COUNTY BABE

BABE of Whitley County is a non-profit organization in Whitley County that serves over 1200 people.  BABE encourages preventative care and childhood development by providing incentives and a community to nurture the mental and physical well-being of our local families. BABE also hosts various mom groups and activities and programs to provide support to the families who need it most. Learn more at www.babewc.org.