SAN ANTONIO – Nikisha Baker, the president and CEO of SAMMinistries, said watching the news Wednesday morning was hard.
“It is heart-wrenching that anyone would feel that there is not a resource available,” Baker said. “Today is a sad day in our community, but it’s also an opportunity for us to begin to think and to talk about resources.”
San Antonio police said Julie Alexander, 37, was charged with abandonment and endangerment of a child after reportedly giving birth and abandoning the newborn baby on Tuesday afternoon along a Northeast Side trail.
Details of what happened are limited. According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, as of Wednesday, the baby is still in the hospital to monitor for any health concerns.
“We want people to know that there are resources in our community and there are shelters available, especially for women and women who may be pregnant and experiencing homelessness,” Haven for Hope Director of Communications Terri Behling said.
For help, Behling said people should start by calling the city’s Homeless Connections Hotline at 210-207-1799.
“Pregnant women may feel alone. They may feel like they have nowhere to go,” Behling said. “Haven (for Hope) is always available for a vulnerable population such as women, pregnant women and families.”
The city also has a Homeless Resource Guide to connect with various agencies, groups and shelters.
“There are resources, and there are safety nets available,” Baker said.
Click here to read more of KSAT’s coverage about the Safe Haven Law.
More related coverage on KSAT: