Last week, the Founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Monica Kelsey, was awarded with the Sagamore of the Wabash Award, which has its recipients selected by the Governor of Indiana.
The award was founded in honor of Indiana’s most famous river, the Wabash, which runs through a significant portion of the state, as well as utilizing the term “Sagamore,” which originates from American Indiana Tribes of the northeastern United States, that describes a lesser chief or a great man among the tribe who the true chief leans on for wisdom and advice. The Safe Haven team released a statement regarding Kelsey’s selection for the award.
Our team knows this description of Monica to be true. Her story began being conceived in rape and abandoned at birth. Yet, her story was redeemed by making her life’s mission to aid mothers in crisis and advocate for the Safe Haven Law. Safe Haven Baby Boxes, founded by Monica, is successfully protecting vulnerable women and their infants by providing a truly anonymous option for legal Safe Haven surrender. Monica has broken down many barriers because she knew a better option existed for women like her birth mother.
Indiana has had safe surrender forever altered due to the efforts of Monica Kelsey. Since 2017, there have been no deadly abandonments in Indiana. Safe Haven Baby Boxes has an outreach far beyond the borders of Indiana with locations in 20 states. Fifty-two babies have been lovingly surrendered at our baby box locations. It is a well-deserved honor for Monica Kelsey.
Throughout the years since its founding, Baby Boxes have been introduced to numerous communities across the state, including Frankfort, Lebanon, Lafayette, Kokomo and numerous others to continue Kelsey’s vision to eliminate any instance of abandoned babies.
Read more about the implementation of one of the newest Safe Haven Baby Boxes in Indiana, which was blessed in January 2024 in Lebanon, at BooneCountyDailyNews.com.
– Photos courtesy of Safe Haven Baby Boxes