Center Township Fire Department at 525 Ransdell Rd. in Lebanon hosted a Safe Haven Baby Box blessing celebration on Tuesday to introduce the 113th baby box location in Indiana to the Lebanon community.
– Photo courtesy of Safe Haven Baby Boxes
The new baby box located at the Center Township Fire Department marks the 195th Safe Haven Baby Box in the nation, which is a number that aligns with the dreams of Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder Monica Kelsey. According to Mariah Betz, the Development Coordinator for Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Kelsey was inspired to found the organization and the movement after learning that she had been abandoned as a baby and after she had seen a baby box being utilized at a church in Cape Town, South Africa. The mission of the organization is to provide a safe and anonymous way for mothers in need to surrender their newborn for adoption.
“I don’t have a backstory like Monica, but I’m very passionate about giving mothers another option to surrender their babies anonymously, safely and lovingly,” Betz said. “To date, we have had 38 babies surrendered in our Safe Haven Baby Boxes, and we have helped over 140 parents surrender in-person, hand-to-hand in multiple states.”
The mission of Safe Haven Baby Boxes is also to share the word of the Safe Haven Law and to honor Amelia, the last infant who died from abandonment in Indiana nine years ago. Since the first Safe Haven Baby Box was installed in 2016, the organization reports that no other infant deaths from abandonment have been reported in Indiana.
Linda Znachko, founder of He Knows Your Name Ministry, spoke during the blessing ceremony about her connection to the organization and its mission, stating that she was the one that found Amelia abandoned. Znachko stated that due to the Safe Haven Law and the Safe Haven Baby Boxes, community members in need of legal, safe surrender of a newborn have 30 days to surrender the child to a Safe Haven Baby Box without penalty. Znachko expressed that the introduction of yet another location for the baby boxes proves that Amelia’s legacy and voice lives on to inspire, bond and uplift communities and parents in need.
“I am so proud of you, Lebanon, Indiana,” Znachko said. “Thank you for all the collaborative work you guys have all done from funding to executing this, and it’s never a surprise to me that in a community how many businesses and people come alongside this movement to make sure there is a baby box put in the counties in our state and across the country.”
Center Township Trustee Casey Samson stated that the implementation of the baby box at the Fire Department was a community effort as numerous companies and individuals bound together to support the cause, providing funding, labor and dedication to the program for years to come in the future.
“By supporting this installation of a Safe Haven Baby Box, we send a clear message to our community that we value every life,” Sampson said. “We are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all. This initiative is a testament to our collective commitment and to the wellbeing of each and every person.”
Samson continued to state that the installation of the baby box is a testament to the Lebanon community’s dedication to ensuring that every person in the community receives a chance to live and prosper.
“In a world where compassion, public safety, township assistance and community involvement all intertwine into one, this initiative holds the potential to make a profound impact on the lives that matter the most,” Sampson said. “As we all know, life often takes unexpected turns, and some find themselves in a desperate situation with very limited options.”
Center Township Fire Department Chief Cody Seymour echoed the presenters’ statements, thanking the community for coming together to support the implementation of the Safe Haven Baby Box and helping to spread the message and the mission of the organization to help parents in need.
“I’m grateful to be able to serve our community if the needs have to happen for the new baby box,” Seymour said.
For more information, resources or assistance, visit shbb.org or contact the Safe Haven Baby Boxes organization at 800-742-2133.