Posted March 3, 2021

HUNTINGTON – A $30,000 fundraising goal for a Safe Haven Baby Box in Huntington has been met as donations continue to come in, and installation is expected to get under way soon.

“A Safe Haven Baby Box is a place for a mother in distress that basically has nowhere else to turn,” Huntington Fire Chief Tony Johnson said. “It’s something that we want to make available in case there ever is a need for it.”

Indiana’s safe haven laws allow a mother in distress to safely, securely and anonymously surrender custody of her newborn child to an emergency service provider, at which point the baby is given medical treatment and placed with a caregiver.

Huntington’s Baby Box will be installed at the Etna Avenue fire station and maintained by the Huntington Fire Department. Once completed, Huntington will become the 54^th Indiana community with an active Safe Haven Baby Box.

An exterior door automatically locks when a newborn is placed inside a Baby Box, triggering a silent alarm so that a medical staff member or first responder can secure the surrendered newborn from inside the building.

Chief Johnson said Wednesday that the check for the Baby Box itself has been sent, and contractors are ready to install it as soon as it arrives. He projects it will be up and running sometime in April or May.

Of the fundraising goal, $20,000 will go toward purchase and installation expenses. The remaining $10,000 is budgeted for ongoing operating costs, such as alarm company fees.

Any donation received above the $30,000 goal will go to support Huntington County Right to Life’s work with new and expectant mothers, Chief Johnson said.

The Huntington Fire Department partnered with the Huntington County Community Foundation in its fundraising campaign. HCCF Executive Director Matt Ditzler attributed its success to a community-wide effort that included local churches and religious organizations, local business support and individuals who donated toward the cause.

Both Ditzler and Chief Johnson expressed their gratitude to the community.

“I want to thank everyone who has contributed,” Chief Johnson said. “It was great to see our community show so much support for this important project.”

“The groundswell of support,” Ditzler added, “made all the difference.”

The Safe Haven Baby Box organization offers a 24-hour hotline for mothers in crisis that can be reached at 1-866-99BABY1.