Our Mission / History

Founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Monica Kelsey, knew she was adopted at birth and raised by a Christian family in Paulding, Ohio. It wasn't until the age of 37 that Monica discovered the shocking circumstances of her conception and subsequent birth. She learned that her birth mother had been brutally raped and left to die and that she had abandoned Monica just a few hours after giving birth.

After some soul searching, she stopped wrestling with the "why" and instead decided to focus on the "how." She did this by asking herself one question: "How can I take this gift of life that I've been given and make a difference?"  

The answer turned out to be simpler than Monica could ever have imagined: follow God's plan for her life, believe her life has purpose, and embrace the realization that she is on this earth--that her life was saved to fulfill that purpose. Her journey to Cape Town, South Africa and her discovery of a “baby box” in operation there lead her to the beginning of Safe Haven Baby Boxes,  the only safe haven organization that is saving abandoned babies through electronically monitored boxes installed in fire stations and hospitals in the United States.

Monica is also a retired firefighter and medic, living in Indiana. Her mission to protect all human life from conception to natural death is personal. She has been sharing her pro-life views with millions of people since February 2011 and works diligently to support pro-life legislators who take a stand to defend the lives of the innocent. 

• Chanel Cunningham was first introduced to Monica Kelsey and Safe Haven Baby Boxes in 2014 by her husband Scott, who was the State Deputy for the Indiana Knights of Columbus. Chanel and Scott assisted with raising Safe Haven Law awareness and promoted Safe Haven Baby Boxes throughout the state of Indiana at Knights of Columbus events. They also helped with coordinating fundraising events and promoting the installation of baby boxes in local communities.  

• Chanel's involvement grew when she started a position on the Board of Directors in September 2018. She officially joined the staff in January 2019 as Director of Programs and Administration, bringing her operational expertise to the organization. She has had a chance to promote and assist community members from the beginning of the process of inquiry all the way to installation of a baby box. Chanel also works diligently on researching and writing grants, assisting with fundraising events, and managing the promotions for Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

• "I firmly believe in the mission of Safe Haven Baby Boxes and am thrilled to have this opportunity to take a part in saving the lives of infants."

• Chanel graduated from Purdue University and spent the last 18 years handling operations for the International Rights Licensing Group at Pearson prior to joining Safe Haven Baby Boxes. She is an active member at St. Elizabeth Seton Church and volunteers as a Kindergarten catechist, helps with money counting, participates in the rosary ministry, assists with Knights of Columbus family activities, and supports other pro-life activities. During her spare time, she loves to travel, read, and spend time with her husband and three children.

 Mrs. International 2016

• ​Priscilla has had the joy of sharing the past 12 years with her husband Sean Pruitt. In marrying Sean, she gained a beautiful daughter. Together they've had three amazing children, and they’ve adopted two gorgeous girls-proudly making them a family of EIGHT!  She considers it a privileged to have been born in this amazing country. Being a first generation American is a gift that she does not take for granted. It is that gift, plus her love for her relatives in Cuba, along with her passion for children-that inspired Priscilla and her husband to build three orphanages in Honduras.
  
• Priscilla is an ordained minister, and public speaker. In 2012, Priscilla and her family chose to move to Wyoming, leaving their friends and family behind, in hopes to change the suicide rate in the-then suicide capital of the US. They started an outreach for their local kids, giving them an opportunity to have a safe and nurturing environment. Their group, of over a hundred kids, met on a weekly basis. Priscilla and Sean fed, mentored, and entertained the youth, personally covering one-hundred percent of the cost. This opened doors for them to mentor youth dealing with bullying, depression and suicide across the US.
  
• In 2016, after winning the title of Mrs. Wyoming, Priscilla began working with Safe Haven Baby Boxes as their International spokesperson-fulfilling a lifelong dream to bring baby boxes to countries around the world.
  
• In 2016, Priscilla went on to win the title of Mrs. International, opening doors for her to speak to young women across the US about Safe Haven Laws and presenting opportunities for baby boxes in other countries.  Through her partnerships with Impact Ministries International and Safe Haven Baby boxes, Priscilla works to expand her education efforts into international borders. Having been blessed to be bi-lingual, Priscilla is able to speak to those in the Spanish community,  as well as Latin countries.
  
• For the last year, Priscilla has been the co-host of the Christian TV show called God's View-airing in over a dozen countries and across the United States.
  
• Priscilla and Sean enjoy spending their time serving their local community and others globally. They feel that experiencing life first-hand is the best way for their children to learn.
  
• “The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.”