Danville, Ind. – On behalf of Hendricks Power Cooperative and its members, a $1,500 donation was made to the Danville Fire Department supporting the community Safe Haven Baby Box project. The Baby Box will serve as the first in Hendricks County and will provide a safe, secure, and anonymous way for community members to surrender a newborn baby if they are unable to care for a child.

The box will be installed at Danville Fire Station #192, located at 100 Twin Bridges Road, which is the only fire station in Danville that is staffed 24 hours a day. The box has an exterior door that automatically locks upon placement of a newborn inside, and an interior door which alerts an on-site staff member and allows them to secure the surrendered newborn from inside the designated building.  

“In these trying, unpredictable times, we are glad to help offer a safe and legal way for infants to receive the quality care they deserve, despite any family’s lack of resources or support.” said Dana Cochran, Director of Marketing & Member Engagement at Hendricks Power Cooperative.

“Our hope is that the baby box isn’t utilized very often, as Hendricks County offers so many resources to local mothers, but we are proud to offer the first and only baby box in the area.” said Danville Fire Chief Rob Roberts. “We want to provide a safe and anonymous way for people to surrender infants that ensure a child’s safety, free from judgement.”

The Danville Rotary Club has matched $5,000 in donations, bringing the donation total to $16,500. The town is still in need of $3,500 in donations to complete the project. The city has secured a local vendor to install the box but is looking for a donor to contribute to the alarm fees.
If you would like to contribute to the Danville Fire Department’s baby box, donations can be made at Danville Town Hall, 49 North Wayne St. Danville, Ind. 46122. Checks can be made out to the Danville Fire Dept. Donations, Memo Safe Haven Baby Box. Visit shbb.org for additional information about Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

Operation Round-Up is a voluntary fundraising program that lets members round-up their energy bill to the next whole dollar- the difference is then deposited into the Hendricks Power Cooperative Operation Round-Up Fund which is held at the Hendricks County Community Foundation. Together, Hendricks Power and the Community Foundation determine the most appropriate uses to benefit the community. Anyone interested in receiving funds for the good of the community can contact us for our guidelines and an application.