by I’m confused. Baby Box corporate types consider their Box Babies to be non-compensated fundraisers. The babies, now mostly toddlers, are paraded around at Baby Box Blessings, banquets, press conferences, and other public events where they run cute and make faces for the camera. They are the bottom rung of America’s broken child welfare system. They are anonymous.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes Corporate defends this stunt by saying their appearance comforts the invisible ex-mothers apparently glued to their computer screens or phones waiting for news or a glimpse of their ex-children being reared by total strangers—something grubby adoption agencies won’t let you do.
Well, meow me! I consider this circus show to be exploitative, narcissistic, and frankly pretty embarrassing and cheapskate. Even supporters of baby boxes complain about it. It just doesn’t set right with a lot of people.
But it’s also about crying poor. Since the company runs on donations, each abandonment (Oh, no ! It’s “loving surrender”—sorry) or post-abandonment personal appearance is an opportunity to advertise the project for free on the internet and print media. Money and babies will flow in. Adoptee friends tell me if their parents had done this to them, they’d stop speaking to them when they got old enough.
The latest defense of this shady practice occurred during the press conference in Mooresville, Indiana on July 1, where a baby girl had been dropped and locked in a box hours earlier. No toddlers appeared, but Monica Kelsey, founder and CEO of SHBB Inc decided it was a good time to hit the donation button. (10:58-11:36) ( I deleted remarks about a loud noise that interrupted the speech.)
The media being here today is pivotal. We run a nonprofit. We don’t get money to advertise. This is our advertising. This is getting the word out with this available . . . But anyway. So you know the media here is pivotal. We have to get the word out. These boxes are available in our communities. And this is the way that we can do that.
That’s not exactly true!
As the Personal Assistant Cat, one of my duties is to search for public records online, or if I can’t find them, to file FOIA requests. According to the company’s 990 for 2020, it had $725,272 in revenue. Maybe close to $1 million in 2021? No money for advertising? I think not!
Meowza! If I had that kind of money I’d be lounging in a luxury catio in Catalonia with a handsome cabana catboy, not working in a backroom for Tasty Chicken Flavor Temptations!
This is my very first time in print, and I’m a little nervous. Let me know what you think. I have a lot to say! My opinions are my own, but nobody here would dare disagree—Love and headbutts, Angelika, the Personal Assistant Cat
Seems like other people have the same view on baby boxes… I thought you would like to see this
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02mZ3cjQH56rfLxvHPpMCYhc2TNfQ7BpCBZM2EodSRync4YBnYycMEdRLiQ32JN1SEl&id=100069323225015&eav=AfZO3gvZla2Mwgryu89QBv5pgwh321PaWR4L141gLGJG3xBd_0snvEYAD-YtS0Oo76c&fs=0&focus_composer=0&m_entstream_source=timeline&paipv=0
Thanks for sending this. Chris Hicks is doing a fantastic job. He is not associated with us, but we talk. I’m working on a couple of big pieces about Ohio. My time keeps getting hijacked, but I hope to have something soon. All Chris and the Ohio Department of Health ask is that SHBB Inc follow the laws of the state and the company’s own protocol, SHBB Inc responds with WhaaWhaa! They are trying to shut us down. How dare they! The upshot is that Chris fits their very specific demographic fanbase. How dare he! What a bunch of amateurs!