Charlestown firefighters, local nonprofit raising money for Baby Box

Erik Hackman, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Mar. 21—CHARLESTOWN — Love's Endeavor and the Charlestown Fire Department are working together to raise money for a Safe Haven Baby Box to be installed at the Park Street fire station.

Safe Haven Baby Box gives mothers another option when they are not able to take care of their child by providing a safe place to give up their baby.

Indiana safe haven laws enable anyone to drop off a child at a firehouse or hospital. From there, the hospital or firehouse will make sure the child gets the care it needs with no questions asked.

The baby box will cost between $15,000-$20,000 to install. So far the organization has raised just under $4,000. For those interested in donating, go to https://secure.qgiv.com/for/bbffcibb/. For those who have further questions, email lovesendavorsorg@gmail.com.

If the goal is reached to install the baby box it will be at 800 Park Street, Charlestown.

"If a woman finds herself in a situation where she cannot care for her baby, then at least the station provides a safe outlet for her to make sure that baby receives the medical care that it needs and also a loving home," said Treva Hodges, Charlestown mayor.

Mothers will be able to place their baby into the baby box anonymously without the risk of judgment or ridicule from anyone else.

"You can take the baby to a police station, fire station, hospital and drop them off," said Dana Cook, Love's Endeavor's president of the board of directors, a Charlestown nonprofit. "But we felt like the chances of a drug-addicted mother or somebody with a warrant, they're not going to show themselves."

Cook added that this baby box will also help mothers from surrounding communities by giving them a safe place to surrender their babies.

"The data shows that on average, mothers who are surrendering their infants are traveling to ours (hospitals, police and fire stations)," Cook said. "It is hopeful that we can help people around us... Potentially we're serving Seymour, Columbus, Evansville."

Mothers are traveling to Southern Indiana to avoid seeing anyone they might know when they are surrendering their child to the hospital, police and fire stations, Cook said.

Charlestown has not made any donation to the baby box as of yet, but Ruthie Jackson, Charlestown council president, wants to get the city involved in some way.

"I put it on the agenda for the next meeting to see if we could help make this happen," Jackson said. "There's five of us, so we'll all have to talk about it at the meeting and see where some funds can come from to be able to do this."