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Project Cuddle® is the result of one woman's crusade to help prevent infants from being abandoned. Debbe Magnusen and her husband Dave fostered over 30 drug-exposed babies, while raising two biological children. They eventually adopted five of the babies. Project Cuddle's® crisis line was formed from the living room of Debbe's home, with the hope of ending baby abandonment.

In 1996, the 24 hour toll-free crisis hotline was unveiled to the public. Within 12 hours, Project Cuddle® received its first crisis call. A frightened young woman called and said, "I saw you on TV and I know the trash is bad for the baby. You better figure out what to do with this baby or I'm going to put it in the park." The woman had no prenatal care and assumed she was due in the next week.
With only days to orchestrate a safe and legal alternative to abandonment, Project Cuddle® was able to retain an attorney, a family wanting to rescue and adopt the baby, as well as an obstetrician, hospital and social counselor. Debbe Magnusen coached this woman through the delivery of a beautiful baby girl. After the baby was delivered into the arms of the adoptive parents, the birth mother said to Debbe. "I feel like I've done something good for the first time." The woman did not break the law, the baby was safe and a rescue couple was overjoyed at having a new daughter.

Statistics indicate that 57 children are abandoned everyday - that's over 20,000 abandoned children a year and these are only the ones that are found. Since its inception, Project Cuddle® has saved over 573 babies across the country from the fate of being abandoned, or worse. Project Cuddle® is committed to helping any pregnant girl or woman regardless of race, creed, religious affiliation, financial status or HIV status.
Everyday they receive calls from frightened girls and women across this country.
They feel that one of the most important things they do is to work hands on with each young woman. They work with frightened girls or women and help them find safe, legal options so that they never have to leave a baby at a dumpster, a church or dirty back alley. No baby deserves to die before it has had a chance to live. Once a woman has delivered, Project Cuddle® continues to assist her in establishing a plan for her future or re-establish family relations if she so desires.

They are not an adoption agency or facilitator. They charge nothing to the girls or to the families. They are a non-profit charity and their only goal is to help each woman make a safe, legal decision. Approximately 60% of the girls/women end up raising their babies with Project Cuddle’s help.

John Stamos is the spokesman for Project Cuddle. He says, "It's a powerful, tangible thing Project Cuddle is doing. And I'm on a mission to make sure people know that this organization exists and to let pregnant women know there's an alternative. They don't have to abandon their babies-they have a choice. Help is out there."

How can you help?
Community Volunteer
Community Volunteers play a vital role for Project Cuddle. Volunteers are needed in each area to help with crisis situations in their community. Some may choose to "hold a girl or woman's hand as she tells her parents or the father of the baby about the pregnancy. They may also assist in arranging for prenatal care.

Awareness Volunteer
Some volunteers may choose to help create public awareness of Project Cuddle and its toll-free number for frightened pregnant girls and women. They also may contact media in their community with news releases or other information provided by Project Cuddle.

Hotline Operator Volunteer
A hotline operator is a volunteer that gets involved directly with the girls or women that call the crisis hotline. A tender heart and a patient listening ear are very important for this particular position. Each call needs to be handled with compassion and understanding. All volunteers receive special training prior to taking their first 12 hour shift. The hotline is forwarded to the volunteer's home phone during their shift. Each month Project Cuddle needs to fill 60 shifts and Hotline Operator Volunteers are always needed.

Rescue Family Volunteer
A rescue family is a family that has the desire to adopt a child, and is willing to help a frightened girl or woman in crisis. The girl or woman is in complete control over whom she will choose to raise her baby or if she will choose to raise it herself. Their common goal is to make sure that the baby is safe and that the woman does not break the law.