Pro-Lifers and Firefighters Bring Real Choice to Moms in Missoula

Sadly, with CI-128 now on the books, Montana’s Constitution makes killing Montana’s babies more easy, profitable, and legal than ever. This new Constitutional Amendment went into effect on July 1, despite efforts to stop it. Regardless of the fact that most Montanans abhor paying for the killing of someone else’s child via taxpayer-funded late-term abortion, that is currently the case here in the Big Sky State. 

Most recently, the Montana Family Foundation launched a legal challenge to CI-128, yet the activist judges in Montana have refused to uphold their own laws. This is far from surprising, considering that our liberal judges have had challenges to other pro-death parts of our state Constitution collecting dust on their desks for decades, refusing to hear or ignoring these cases. While the judicial branch is focused on depopulating us at our own expense, I have looked into options that will save lives regardless of CI-128—and Safe Haven Baby Boxes is one solid alternative. 

Moms in crisis need support of every kind. The responsibility of raising and caring for a baby is daunting for homeless, young, or abused women. Many of these moms would do anything to give a warm, loving home to their child, but feel unable to do so in their current circumstances. These moms are prone to abandoning their child, just like Nadia Grace McCormick’s mother did in Missoula in 1999. Commonly known as “Baby Grace” from this KPAX story, Nadia was found, cared for, and grew up to be a lady of grace with an incredible story. She is just one of many babies who have been abandoned here in Montana.  

With a Safe Haven Baby Box in Missoula, mothers like Nadia’s don’t have to leave their infant in a dumpster. Moms will have a safe, clean, anonymous alternative that will provide their child a much better opportunity. Babies surrendered in a Safe Haven Baby Box receive life-saving medical care within minutes and are commonly placed in their forever family within a few months. For these reasons, we at Montanans for Life have made the Baby Box a priority, and have worked with Missoula Fire Department to secure the ideal location for this box. I’m thankful for MFD firefighter Cody Warner, who has been instrumental in not only finding the location for the box, but also in connecting us with Assistant Chief of Operations Phillip Keating, who has authorized the box to be installed in Station One, 625 East Pine Street. Cody reached out to me a few months ago when the Lord put it on his heart to facilitate a box’s installation in Missoula shortly after an anonymous donor provided the funds to our organization for the sole purpose of putting a box in Missoula. Call it a divine appointment or a win-win—this box will provide a real choice for moms in crisis.

At Fire Station One, the Baby Box will be a convenient location near the University, Interstate Route 90, and the homeless population who frequent the Poverello Center as well as Broadway Island. The proximity to people who may need the box is vital, ensuring that lack of transportation doesn’t prevent its use. Just yesterday, my husband and I finally got to meet Cody, as well as Chief Keating and their Master Mechanic, Eric Petroff, at Station One. We sat down to go over the recently signed contract for the Baby Box and were treated to a site visit to the spot chosen for the box itself. 

At this time, bids are being collected from contractors for the installation of the box, which will likely occur in the fall.  The box itself is in production at Safe Haven’s facility—a process that takes several weeks and is followed by several inspections. After this, my husband and I will pick up the box from Safe Haven’s facility in Woodburn, Indiana, and deliver it to Missoula in October. Look for more updates as we get closer to the installation, which will include training of the first responders and the public blessing of the box on the day it opens.  

Other Safe Haven Baby Boxes will follow, as we have worked with Rep. Randyn Gregg (R-HD 78) to pass HB 476, which provides grant funding for up to eight additional Baby Boxes in Montana, bringing our statewide total to ten. Similarly, Sandpoint, Idaho just opened a Safe Haven Baby Box this past Monday. These new boxes have changed the landscape in our region! With no boxes present just a year ago, we now have two installed in Billings and Sandpoint, and a third location under contract in Missoula.  

While I pray Montana Family Foundation is successful in overturing CI-128, and I am immensely thankful for Derek Oestreicher’s leadership in that capacity, we at Montanans for Life are moving forward with solutions to save lives regardless of the court’s decision. Both the legal pushback against CI-128 and the more immediate solutions are absolutely necessary. In time, real options for moms who find themselves pregnant unexpectedly will be available all across Montana. That is the essence of being pro-life.