Ocala is amongst the latest to receive a safe haven baby box
All Safe Haven Baby Box locations have a medical kit designed to provide essential care for newborns to prevent their illegal abandonment by raising awareness.
The SHBB movement offers Baby Boxes as a last-resort option for women who want to maintain complete anonymity.
The boxes are installed on the exterior walls of fire stations and hospitals. With specific innovative safety measures, each box ensures infants' safety and anonymous surrender.
Read: Florida ranked #1 best state to retire in, according to WalletHub
Monica Kelsey, founder of SHBB, James Banta, Fire Chief of Marion County, and Commissioner Carl Zalak are among the attendees.
Read: Over 8,000 adoptive pets received homes last year, according to Animal Services
SHBB has received over 9,000 calls and has helped parents in every state in the United States.
Read: Vans Warped Tour 30th anniversary: First wave of performers announced
According to their site, it has referred over 500 women to crisis pregnancy centers, assisted in 10 adoption referrals, and facilitated over 150 legal Safe Haven surrenders.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Yahoo
Groundbreaking for St. Joseph Animal Shelter to get underway
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — After a decade long discussion, a project to relocate the St. Joseph Animal Shelter is set to begin this month. In a press release, the City of St. Joseph confirmed a ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, at the site area of the $5 million project at 3409 S. Belt Highway. St. Joseph Mayor John Josendale, Animal Services staff and volunteers will be in attendance. Members of the public are welcome. The project is supported by $3.4 million in Capital Improvement Program funds and $1.6 million raised by the Friends of the Animal Shelter. Ellison-Auxier Architects provided design services for the new facility, which utilizes an existing city-owned building on the property that will be significantly expanded with new construction. E.L. Crawford is the construction contractor for the project. The plan for the new shelter includes an increase from the the current 8,000-square-foot facility as the new location is set have 13,000 square feet of space. It will also feature separate holding spaces for cats and dogs, an infirmary, a designated intake spot and additional parking spaces for visitors. We're really excited about the space and having flex areas for the animals," Animal Service manager Holly Bowie said. "It will increase the health of our animals because we'll be able to separate sick animals from healthy ones. Bowie said the new shelter will help with, not only having more space for animals, but space for community engagement. "Right now, we just don't have the ability to do that," said Bowie. "The visibility of the location is really exciting for us. We're hoping that we can engage the community more and have more visitors at the shelter. Public services, including adoption processing, at the current animal shelter location will not be available on June 17, so staff can attend the groundbreaking. However, priority field service complaints will be answered. If weather conditions become an issue, the ceremony will be moved inside the existing building on the site. The project is slated to be completed by June 2026.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Yahoo
This U.S. State Was Just Named the Happiest for Retirees
According to a new study, there's one state in particular that has nailed the recipe for happiness. And it's the perfect place for seniors looking to live out their golden years. In late May, released its Senior Happiness Index to determine which places around the U.S. offer the highest chances of finding happiness for older people. To determine the ranking, the team analyzed a number of factors, including the number of senior centers in each state using and normalized the data per 100,000 people. It then determined the percentage of seniors (65 years and older) living alone, which was collected via the U.S. Census American Community Survey (2023), along with an overall senior health ranking taken from America's Health Rankings 2024 Senior Report. Next, it calculated the cost of living index by state using data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, along with the average annual life expectancy at birth from the National Vital Statistics System. Then, it gathered data on the happiest states in the U.S. using a 2024 study by WalletHub and finally assigned each state a score from zero to 10. After looking at all that information, the team named Utah the happiest state of all for seniors. "Utah tops the list with the most content seniors, scoring 7.69 out of 10 thanks to its supportive environment for senior living," the findings noted." Utah was also named the healthiest state for older people in 2024, and it ranks as the third-lowest percentage of those aged 65 and over living alone (21.48 percent), reducing the risk of social isolation." The findings also noted that Utah is among the top five happiest states in general and is a spot where more than two-fifths (44 percent) actively volunteer, which is the highest rate in the nation. "This not only means Utah's aging population is staying connected and involved with their community, but volunteering also contributes significantly to Utah seniors' well-being and happiness," the findings added. Idaho came in a close second with a score of 7.38, thanks to most of its seniors living with others, ensuring fewer people are experiencing loneliness. And as the findings stated, it's a fantastic spot for seniors looking to live an active lifestyle with "30 state parks to explore and proximity to national treasures like Yellowstone." Rounding out the top three is Connecticut, with a score of 7.01, thanks to its strong statistics, including the third-highest average life expectancy, access to health care, and its ranking among the top 10 happiest states overall on WalletHub's rankings. Ready to find more happiness? See the full report and where your state ranks on Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-mature-woman-utah-RETIREHAPPYST0625-192cd89ac7ff4bc78d28872e47de95e8.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
03-06-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This U.S. State Was Just Named the Happiest for Retirees
According to a new study, there's one state in particular that has nailed the recipe for happiness. And it's the perfect place for seniors looking to live out their golden years. In late May, released its Senior Happiness Index to determine which places around the U.S. offer the highest chances of finding happiness for older people. To determine the ranking, the team analyzed a number of factors, including the number of senior centers in each state using and normalized the data per 100,000 people. It then determined the percentage of seniors (65 years and older) living alone, which was collected via the U.S. Census American Community Survey (2023), along with an overall senior health ranking taken from America's Health Rankings 2024 Senior Report. Next, it calculated the cost of living index by state using data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, along with the average annual life expectancy at birth from the National Vital Statistics System. Then, it gathered data on the happiest states in the U.S. using a 2024 study by WalletHub and finally assigned each state a score from zero to 10. After looking at all that information, the team named Utah the happiest state of all for seniors. "Utah tops the list with the most content seniors, scoring 7.69 out of 10 thanks to its supportive environment for senior living," the findings noted." Utah was also named the healthiest state for older people in 2024, and it ranks as the third-lowest percentage of those aged 65 and over living alone (21.48 percent), reducing the risk of social isolation." The findings also noted that Utah is among the top five happiest states in general and is a spot where more than two-fifths (44 percent) actively volunteer, which is the highest rate in the nation. "This not only means Utah's aging population is staying connected and involved with their community, but volunteering also contributes significantly to Utah seniors' well-being and happiness," the findings added. Idaho came in a close second with a score of 7.38, thanks to most of its seniors living with others, ensuring fewer people are experiencing loneliness. And as the findings stated, it's a fantastic spot for seniors looking to live an active lifestyle with "30 state parks to explore and proximity to national treasures like Yellowstone." Rounding out the top three is Connecticut, with a score of 7.01, thanks to its strong statistics, including the third-highest average life expectancy, access to health care, and its ranking among the top 10 happiest states overall on WalletHub's rankings. Ready to find more happiness? See the full report and where your state ranks on
