Staff Reports
The city of Newberry announced Thursday the successful fundraising for a Safe Haven Baby Box.
The box, to be installed at the Newberry Fire Department, was funded by T-shirt sales and community donations.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes provide a secure, anonymous option for parents in crisis situations who are surrendering their infants. The boxes are intended to prevent unsafe abandonment that could harm a baby.
Newberry chose to install a baby box to act on a community commitment to its residents’ safety and welfare, especially the most vulnerable.
“The Safe Haven Baby Box installation is a testament to our citizens’ collective goodwill and compassion,” Mayor Jordan Marlowe said in a press release. “Newberry is a community that consistently comes together in times of need.”
The community was still short $8,000 on Monday when Jordan Fairfield heard a funding update at a Newberry City Commission meeting. Fairfield “spontaneously offered” to cover the rest of the cost, Marlowe said in a Facebook post.
The city plans to install the Safe Haven Baby box soon and will hold a community event to celebrate.