Amanda McLea wants struggling families to know there is a lifesaving resource available to help ease the pain of a difficult choice.
The president of the Leesburg Sunrise Rotary Club said that is why the nonprofit worked to bring the first Safe Haven Baby Box in Lake County to the City of Leesburg.
The Leesburg Safe Haven Baby Box, in compliance with Florida Safe Haven Law, is a ventilated, climate-controlled space that is monitored 24/7 with a surveillance system and an immediate alert going to first responders once opened. The box was built on the side of Leesburg Fire Station 61, 201 S. Canal St., Leesburg.
“It’s about providing the ability for a person to surrender their baby anonymously and without shame,” McLea said. “I wanted to leave a lasting legacy for the Sunrise Rotary Club. Our motto is ‘service above self’ and one of our pillars is improving maternal and child health. This will be another great resource for families in need.”
A blessing ceremony took place Tuesday for the Leesburg Safe Haven Baby Box, a community project supported through a partnership with the Leesburg Sunrise Rotary, City of Leesburg and Leesburg Fire Rescue.
McLea, who recently was elected to the Lady Lake Town Commission, gave the opening remarks for the ceremony.
“It’s such an exciting day for all of us and a meaningful moment in the community. I’m honored to stand here with our first responders, community leaders and those who made this resource a reality,” McLea said, explaining she first presented the initiative to her club three years ago, before it was brought to Leesburg’s city commission for approval.
Alan Reisman, District 2 commissioner for Leesburg, gave the invocation, Pledge of Allegiance and remarks during the ceremony.
Reisman thanked those individuals, churches and local businesses who helped bring the, “lifesaving resource” to the community — an effort he said took 938 days to come to fruition.
Community partners raised nearly $27,000 to build the Safe Haven Baby Box.
The Sunrise Rotary will pay the $500 annual fee for maintenance, including testing door sensors, the alarm and temperature sensors.
“It took a week and a half to raise the funds,” McLea said. “It was amazing to see the community come out and come together to bridge the gap. There was an outpouring of donations and we are thankful to every penny donated and time shares. That’s the type of leadership that defines our community. It’s all about the acts of kindness.”
Allyson Berry, newly elected Mayor of Leesburg, was one of the first guests to speak during the ceremony, followed by state Rep. Nan Cobb, R-District 26.
Berry called it a blessing to have the first Safe Haven Baby Box in Lake County stationed in Leesburg,
“What an honor for all of us to be here to see this come to the community,” she said. “I look forward to this blessing and look forward to, one day, having these at every one of our fire stations.”
Cobb said it was an honor to serve the district and highlight the importance of protecting infants by championing legislation in the state senate. She also announced that the cities of Clermont and Groveland will each have their own Save Haven Baby Box by the end of the year.
“If this is the only thing I accomplish, I would sleep well knowing we are helping innocent lives,” Cobb said. “I am incredibly proud of the Leesburg community making the right and moral decision. It’s up to us to educate our residents.”
Cobb said Florida’s Safe Haven law recognizes a difficult reality some parents face and prioritizes the safety of children. The law, passed in 2024, allows parents to anonymously surrender infants up to 30 days old to a hospital, fire station, infant safety box or by calling 911.
Ryan Henry, Leesburg fire chief, said the Safe Haven Baby Box doesn’t represent abandonment, it represents protection.
“Today is about dedicating ourselves to the protection of life,” Henry said. “Today represents hope. Today represents a second chance. Today represents love. This ensures no parent feels that they have nowhere to turn and no child is left alone. We are ready to respond, act and care. You are not alone and there is no judgment here — only compassion.”
McLea was grateful for the support of this project, but expressed there was more to it than surrendering a baby. It opens the door to more resources available to the community.
“It’s really important that people understand it is more than a baby box,” she said. “There is a national hotline that provides free counseling and other resources people may need. Many who call the number may ultimately choose not to surrender because they learn about other resources available.”
Jessi Getrost, executive assistant of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, addressed the small crowd gathered in front of the new addition to Fire Station 61.
“It’s amazing to see the community show up,” Getrost said.
Getrost explained how Safe Haven Baby Boxes came to be. Founded in 2016 by Monica Kelsey, the nonprofit organization was inspired by Kelsey’s travels to South Africa, where she saw a rudimentary version of a baby box in use.
Today, there are 422 Safe Haven Baby Boxes stationed across the United States, 13 of which are located in Florida. Ocala was the first city in Florida to set up a box in 2020, which safely hosted one infant in 2023.
McLea, Henry and several other speakers said they hope the box is never needed, but they are glad to have it in the community as an option.
Chrishada Harmon was heartbroken when she was contacted in February about taking in a baby whose parents were homeless and didn’t have resources to care for the child.
The owner of the Friends of the Homeless, a nonprofit that helps provide free food, hygiene items, clothes and social activities for homeless people in Lake County, said she it’s a difficult situation that’s not uncommon for her to encounter and said she hopes the box will be another helpful resource for families like those who contact her for assistance.
“We see it constantly — pregnant women or children that have no place to go,” she said. “It’s the hardest thing but we do what we can to help. We’ve hosted four baby showers for struggling mothers in our ministry, two this year and two last year. We have stopped several evictions and we were able to assist them to where they can stay in their home. We can only do so much and we are trying to be a hand up not handout, but we need help.”
Terry Mahan, pastor of The Father’s House Church in Leesburg, prayed over the box that aims to serve as a promise to protect every child.
“Protect every child that comes through this door,” he said. “Let this become a testimony that even in the darkest moments, the Lord makes a way.”
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
