www.the-papers.com
Tuesday, December 28, 2021
Serving Elkhart County and parts of Noble, LaGrange & Marshall Counties Know Your Neighbor. . . . . 2➤ Speak Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Good Neighbors . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Thank You Customers. . .6 & 7 Vol. 49 No. 38
Goshen (574) 534-2591
134 S. Main, Goshen, Indiana 46526
0LGGOHEXU\ QRQSURILW VHHNV WR PHHW %DELHV %DVLF 1HHGV 7H[W $QG 3KRWRV %\ '$9,' +$=/(',1( 6WDII :ULWHU In August 2019, Kelsey Tubbs, with the backing of the Middlebury Lions Club, decided to help fill a need in the community for diapers and other baby supplies. For more than 14 years, she said, Pam Bingaman, director of Middlebury Food Pantry, had been looking for someone to help fill this need, and Tubbs was allocated a small area in the pantry to collect supplies. “Within six months we realized the need was a lot bigger than we thought it was,” Tubbs recalled. According to a recent study by the National Diaper Bank Network, one in three American families struggles with a diaper need at some point, and COVID has only exacerbated the issue. In order to get bigger grants, Tubbs separated from Lions Club, which at the time was shut down due to the pandemic, and created a 501(c)3 non-profit. Babies Basic Needs Corporation was born. While much of her community hunkered in lockdown, Tubbs said, “We kept going after everything we could.” And she continues to do so. Babies Basic Needs is now serving an average of 50 families per week, providing diapers, pull-ups, wipes, baby wash, non-allergenic laundry detergent and more. There are also organized bins on hand to provide clothes and other necessities in the case of emergencies, such as a house fire. The number varies drastically, however. “Some weeks it is close to 100,” Tubbs noted. The winter months is such a time. Babies Basic Needs tries to remove the need of a week’s worth of diapers, 50 to 100 depending on the child, but Tubbs’ goal is to remove a month’s worth. This would require an estimated annual budget of $200,000, and she is at roughly $40,000 currently. The Indiana Diaper Bank Coalition identifies 12 diaper banks in the state, the majority of these are in or around Indianapolis and to the south. The closest one to Middlebury is Fort Wayne.
%$6,& 1(('6 ³ ,Q .HOVH\ 7XEEV VWDUWHG SURYLGLQJ GLDSHUV DQG RWKHU EDE\ VXSSOLHV DW 0LGGOHEXU\ )RRG 3DQWU\ 1RZ %DELHV %DVLF 1HHGV &RUS VHUYHV DURXQG IDPLOLHV SHU ZHHN $FFRUGLQJ WR D UHFHQW VWXG\ RQH LQ WKUHH IDPLOLHV VWUXJJOHV ZLWK D GLDSHU QHHG DW VRPH SRLQW “There is a huge gap in northern Indiana that needs to be filled, so we’re excited to do that,” Tubbs exclaimed. She is looking to collaborate with pantries in South Bend and southern Michigan in particular. But she also realizes the nonprofit is still just getting started. Babies Basic Needs holds three major fundraisers per year: Two “baby showers,” one in the spring, one in the fall, and “Stuff the Truck with Santa,” which includes a meet and greet with Santa Claus and other activities. Sometimes there is an immediate need to be met. One regular volunteer started as a client when her daughter had a baby she was unable to care for due to drug addiction. The call went out on Facebook, and within a day the newborn had a crib, changing table, car seat and more. “It was a beautiful response from the community,” Tubbs recalled. Babies Basic Needs Corp. is located in the Middlebury Food Pantry, 13307 CR 16, and it distributes supplies from 8-11 a.m. every Saturday. For more information, including how to donate, call (574) 218-5481 or visit the Facebook page or the website, https:// babies-basic-needs-corporation.business.site
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