By Loretta Fulton

It took one woman’s initiative, followed by fundraising, installation, testing, and training, but Abilene is officially the home of the first Safe Haven Baby Box in the state of Texas.

The baby box was dedicated Tuesday, April 2, at Fire Station No. 7 on North Pioneer Drive, with a star-studded lineup of dignitaries. Mayor Weldon Hurt welcomed guests and said city officials attend all sorts of events, exciting and not.

“We get something like this and it’s truly heartfelt,” he said.

The Safe Haven Baby Box was manufactured at the company’s homebase in Indiana, shipped to Abilene and installed in March. That was followed by testing the device and training the personnel who will man it. 

Bishop Michael Sis, left, and Humberto Diaz, a seminarian, examine the Safe Haven Baby Box installed a Fire Station No. 7.

The culmination came April 2 with the dedication and blessing of the box, a significant date in the eyes of the woman who took the initiative and set things in motion to make it happen, Karen Light, a member of Holy Family Catholic Church.  

“Symbolically, it’s really nice to have in the Easter season,” Light said. 

The baby box is a place where an infant can be safely left and put up for adoption. Once the baby is placed inside the box and the door shut, it locks and a silent alarm is sounded. Firefighters respond within two minutes and the baby is transported to the hospital and eventually is placed with Child Protective Services for a closed adoption. It’s all private and confidential, with no cameras in the area. Texas Senate Bill 780 became law on Sept. 1, 2023, allowing “newborn safety devices” to be used to surrender unharmed babies who are 60 days old or younger.  

Exterior view of Safe Haven Baby Box at Fire Station No. 7

Fire Chief Cande Flores cited all the people, businesses and institutions that made the purchase and placement of the box possible, plus some folks who contributed to the dedication event such as the “1st in Texas” cookies made by Giselle Rodriguez and Avery Chacon and bottles of water distributed by the Knights of Columbus. Local businesses and organizations that donated in-kind services and other support were listed on a banner. 

“It was quite the group effort,” Flores said, “and we definitely appreciate everyone’s involvement.”
Many individuals and businesses made the project a success, but it was Light’s initiative that got the ball rolling. Thanks to her meticulous record-keeping, Light knows exactly what steps she took and when. On June 29, 2023, she heard an interview with Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, on Guadalupe Radio Network, a Catholic station. Immediately, the thought occurred to her, “That really needs to be done.” Then she began to ask who would do it.

“You need to do it!” was the revelation that came to her.

The next day, June 30, she contacted Mariah Betz with Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc. They set up a Zoom meeting for July 5. On July 10, Light emailed a friend,, Jeremy Wolfe, who is a battalion chief at Fire Station No. 1. He contacted Flores, the fire chief, who in turn got in touch with City Manager Robert Hanna. 

Taking part in the dedication of a baby box on April 2 are left to right Father Emilio Sosa, Bishop Michael Sis, Karen Light, Kevin Pantoja, and Humberto Diaz.

A major step in the process was getting fundraising lined up. Cost to build the baby box was $11,000, plus $1,500 for shipping it from Indiana to Abilene. As it turned out, only one phone call, placed on Aug. 1, was needed. James Sulliman, president of West Texans for Life, answered Light’s prayer with his quick response.

“We’re going to fund the whole thing,” he said.

On Aug. 25, Flores signed a contract with Safe Haven Baby Boxes, and on Oct. 18, Sulliman mailed a check to the company to cover the cost. The box arrived on Dec. 23–an early Christmas present–and installation steps, such as pouring a concrete slab followed. Installation and testing of the box was completed in March, with the dedication and blessing on April 2. But the job isn’t done.

“Our mission now is awareness,” Light said. 

State Rep. Stan Lambert, Mayor Hurt, city councilmen Shane Price and Blaise Regan, and Bishop Michael Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo were among the dignitaries present. Sis said a member of his own family had been left at a police station and was adopted, making the safe baby box especially meaningful to him.

“She’s a beloved member of our family,” he said. 

A banner highlights donors that made a Safe Haven Baby Box possible at Fire Station No. 7. Abilene is the first city in Texas to get a baby box since legislation that enabled it took effect Sept. 1.

Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Inc., also spoke at the ceremony. She said the Abilene baby box was number 212 that the company had built and that Texas was the 16th state to receive a box. The baby box offers an alternative for a woman who is in a crisis situation and doesn’t know what to do. The process is totally confidential and the woman knows that the baby will be taken care of. 

“This box offers no shame, no blame, and no names,” Kelsey said. 

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene

All photos courtesy Aida Pantoja and Karen Light