Talk of the Town - Whitley County

(Talk of the Town photos by Jennifer Zartman Romano and James Romano) Above, standing on the steps of the new home of the non-profit BABE program in Columbia City, executive director Shawn Ellis and BABE board member Carrie Ebersole recount the eventful days they've had preparing for the move. Below, several Whitley County Historical Society board members, society members and staff toured the house they are renting to the BABE program last evening. Below, from left, is Chuck Jones, Angela Maley, Joyce Hite, Bev Henley, Dennis Warnick, Carrie Ebersole, Jeanette Brown, Shawn Ellis and Jennifer Zartman Romano. At bottom, Whitley County Historical Society board secretary Bev Henley looks at a crib full of handmade quilts in the BABE store.

By Jennifer Zartman Romano

In what is likely to be an ideal example of how two non-profit organizations can work together to serve eachother's needs, the Whitley County Historical Society and BABE of Whitley County are now neighbors.
Following a vote of the Whitley County Historical Society board of directors in July and the approval of the Board of Zoning Appeals on Tuesday evening, BABE has moved into a house owned by the Whitley County Historical Society on the corner of Jefferson Street and Main Street in near downtown Columbia City.
Still unpacking boxes and setting up displays in the well-over 2000 square foot building, BABE's executive director Shawn Ellis is marveling at how the organization was able to fit so much into a previously 540 square foot space. The move, it seems, will be ideal for BABE as it continues to grow and for the Whitley County Historical Society as well.
Since buying the house adjacent to the Whitley County Historical Society several years ago, the Historical Society has been continuously concerned with finding and keeping continuous renters in the space. The Society currently has no concrete plans for the future of the building, but wanted to maintain it as an income generating source to cover expenses associated with holding the property for possible Historical Society expansion in the future.
In the meantime, zoning on the property has been changed to allow the non-profit BABE program to be there and also to open a very small children's clothing boutique on the site, generating additional revenue to support the BABE program. This just wasn't possible, according to Ellis, when they were in a smaller space.
Excitement about BABE's move and about the joint relationship between the two organizations was apparent Wednesday evening as board members from the Whitley County Historical Society toured the house, talking with Ellis and with BABE board member Carrie Ebersole.
Wednesday was a very good day for BABE, Ellis said. Open for four hours, they welcomed numerous families who were eager to take a look around at the new space and celebrate BABE's expansion. Bouquets of balloons were tied to the front stoop, carrying the festivities out front. Passersby honked and waived.
"This will definitely be a great location for us," Ellis said.
"I'm absolutely in love with the place," she said. "For the first time in almost three years with my career with BABE, I feel very relaxed. We are finally where we need to be. It is absolutely ideal for what BABE needed and what BABE does."
Every family that has come in -- the expressions have been endless," she said. "It has been awesome."
"We've talked a lot about the clothing store space and when it will open up. Families are very understanding about how that will feed into the BABE program and they're very excited," she said.
In many ways, Ellis said she feels God has lead the way in the process.
On the day she needed to file the $100 fee to make a change in zoning on the property, an anonymous gift of $100 cash showed up in the mail.
"Then, I needed to pay $300 to have the utilities turned on," Ellis said. That same day, a $300 money order was donated by a local church who'd made a special collection during their Bible School program.
On the day she needed $135 to turn on the gas, a volunteer handed her a check for $100.
As Ellis talked for the interview to write this story, she commented that the move had only cost BABE about $35...and as it has happened along the way, a member of the community walked in and handed her a $150 check.
"I sat at my desk and just laughed," she said. "How could I ever doubt that God was involved in this process?"
Given all unexpected and very much needed gifts from above that have come recently, Ellis and the BABE board are planning to create a special fund in their budget called, "The God Fund."
"We need someplace special to account for all these amazing gifts that have come in," she said.
"I am so at peace with everything," she said.
BABE's new address is 301 North Main Street. They are open Wednesdays from 2-6 p.m. and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at that location. BABE also makes visits to South Whitley's Star Bank from noon-2 p.m. on the first Monday of the month and to Churubusco's Farmers Mutual Bank on the last Monday of the month from noon-2 p.m.
Visitors to BABE are asked to park along Jefferson Street or in the driveway at 301 North Main Street, but not in the parking lot which belongs to the Whitley County Historical Museum.
The Beds & Britches, Etc. / B.A.B.E. program was established in 2001 as an incentive program for pregnant women and families to try to deter the high incidence of low birth weight babies that were being born in Whitley County. B.A.B.E provides incentives for pregnant women & families to consistently participate in programs and services provided that benefit the health and well being of infants and young children to ensure that the children are given the best possible start in life. The program was created with the financial support and oversight of Columbia City United Methodist Church and Parkview Whitley Hospital.
In August 2001, B.A.B.E. opened their doors at 207 North Chauncey Street and in July of 2006, BABE moved to 103 North Chauncey Street.