Terre Haute Fire Station No. 5 became the newest location of a Safe Haven Baby Box as a resource for women in crisis to ensure a safe surrender of a baby.
The baby box unveiling occurred Thursday morning, with the unlocking of the box installed discretely in the north wall of the fire station on South Ninth Street between Wabash Avenue and Ohio Street in downtown Terre Haute.
It is the 68th Safe Haven Baby Box branded box in Indiana, the second in Vigo County, and the 85th nationwide.
“this box is going to protect mothers in crisis and their infants by giving them a safe option to surrender anonymously. We are excited to add Terre Haute to the list of communities in our nation that are leading the charge to end infant abandonment,” said Monica Kelsey, founder of the non-profit Safe Haven Baby Boxes Inc.
Herself abandoned as an infant, Kelsey became a firefighter/paramedic and has committed to ending illegal infant abandonment through education, awareness and the baby box.