RICHMOND, Ky. (KT) – Pregnancy Help Center has been busy this spring. The Richmond ministry opened a satellite center in Berea on May 1 and its efforts to provide a Safe Haven Baby Box are bearing fruit in Madison County.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth at (Pregnancy Help Center) in the last couple of years, and so we were trying to figure out better ways to serve our community,” said Sarah Roof, executive director of PHC.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 and Kentucky’s abortion ban was enforced, PHC saw a 47% increase in patients utilizing their medical clinic. In 2023, they served women from 20 different counties.
“It’s just the growth in women who are still desperate to find resource when they’re facing an unplanned pregnancy. And now they don’t have the same access to abortion resources that they had before,” Roof said. “And so, I think that gives us a wonderful opportunity to be the first resource that they’re seeking, that we can hopefully help them make a life affirming decision instead.”
When efforts to find a bigger space in Richmond couldn’t beat their amazing original location—downtown, close to the high school, near the university—they turned their attention to a satellite center that could expand their capacity to serve.
“I think Madison County is unique in that we have a college at each end of our county with Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond and then Berea College in Berea. And that’s our target population of who we’re trying to reach,” Roof explained.
The pieces quickly fell into place: a location right off I-75 for easy access, funds for renovation of the space, an ultrasound machine and exam table donated by a local OBGYN who had gone out of business a few years ago.
“God’s hand was all in it,” Roof said, adding later that the process took less than six months from the initial idea to opening day.
The Berea center, which provides medical services (including pregnancy testing, ultrasounds and discussing pregnancy options) on Wednesdays and Thursdays, is already meeting needs. In three weeks, they’ve seen a dozen clients.
“I thought it would be slow going for us to get people scheduled there, but no, we’ve already seen more than I thought we would initially. In the first two days, I think we had two or three appointments at that location,” Roof said.
It has exceeded her expectations.
A full-funded, partnership-driven baby box
The community support of a Safe Haven Baby Box has also blown Roof and PHC away in the past year. A conversation that started in September has led to the installation of the device—where babies less than 30 days old can be safely, legally and anonymously surrendered by parents—at a local fire station.
“We had put it in our newsletter…needless to say, our people were excited about the opportunity. And then the city, just a couple of weeks ago, once they started the installation, they shared it on social media as well. And to see the support from the community, people who were excited, again, just to have this as an option—honestly, I was overwhelmed.”
An anonymous donor moved beyond excitement early in the project timeline after Roof posted about a Safe Haven box on Facebook.
“Someone saw that post and reached out to me and wanted to fund it fully. So, we received an anonymous donation to cover the entire cost of the baby box,” Roof said. “So, again, another area where God just opened the door where we didn’t have to do a fundraising campaign.”
The city later paid for the installation of the box. Between the device and installation, Safe Haven Baby Boxes can cost upwards of $16,000 upfront, but only require a yearly maintenance fee once operational.
Roof said not every city works with a local pregnancy center to place a Safe Haven box, but she thinks it’s an intuitive partnership.
“I do think it’s a natural relationship just because on our end, it’s helping build a culture of life in our community. It’s giving women another life affirming option,” she said. “You hope…that it never has to be used, but it’s there. And it is promoting a culture of life.”
Once installation is complete, the Richmond baby box will be tested for seven days. Then a press conference will be scheduled to raise awareness of the resource and bless it before it opens to the community.
Friends of Life KY 