Cuddle in a crisis

Project Cuddle, coming up on its 12th anniversary, helps women in tough times. ‘If a woman needs help, she can call and ask for it,’ volunteer says. This summer, Project Cuddle celebrates its 12th year of providing safe options to women who are pregnant or have recently given birth.

More than a decade ago, before she founded the national nonprofit organization, Costa Mesa resident Debbe Magnusen was helping mothers in distress any way she could.

She left a note on her porch alerting women that they could drop their unwanted children with her as a last resort. And to comfort children who rode in police cars after being removed from unfit homes, Magnusen placed stuffed animals in the back seat.

That’s the genesis of the name Project Cuddle.

“She [Magnusen] heard one too many stories about babies being dumped,” said Madison Woolworth, an administrative assistant and crisis coordinator at Project Cuddle. “She wanted to help.”

Today, Magnusen has five foster children, two biological children and thousands of volunteers who help women across the country.

Project Cuddle, which has its headquarters on the border of Costa Mesa and Santa Ana, began in 1994. Magnusen oversees the operation, which includes a 24-hour, toll-free hotline -- (888) 628-3353 -- that women can call to find legal alternatives to abandoning their newborns.

“If a woman needs help, she can call and ask for it,” Woolworth said. “Whatever she needs, we’re there for them. We are there for support and to give them all the options. We can stop them from doing anything they might regret.”

A few years back, Woolworth said one of her friends used the hotline when she was scared about the prospect of having a child. She was considering an abortion, but Woolworth said her friend decided instead to put her child up for adoption. Project Cuddle helped provide emotional support, she said.

Woolworth is quick to point out that the organization doesn’t take a stance on abortion. Nor does it attempt to sway women’s opinions on what decision is best for them.

“We’re here to give them all the options,” she said.

Project Cuddle isn’t affiliated with clinics or medical offices, though it has a list of available resources and names.

Many of the clients have been abused and are expectant single mothers, Woolworth said. According to organization literature, the average age of clients is 21.

Once a hotline volunteer has taken a caller’s information, the person talks with Woolworth. She said having an open conversation is the key to helping women figure out what’s best for them.

“It’s sometimes hard to put your views aside, but I’ve learned how,” Woolworth said. “It’s important to develop a relationship with the callers.”

If finding a foster family is a person’s choice, Project Cuddle provides the woman with a list of three potential families. The organization is merely the liaison; it does not have any say in what family receives a child.

Talea Magnusen, Debbe Magnusen’s step-daughter, is in charge of finding potential foster families. She used the hotline service years ago and said she was motivated to help others in similar situations.

“This is my way of giving back,” she said. “Your heart bleeds for some of the callers. I do whatever I can do to be there for the women.”

Woolworth said the organization has saved more than 500 babies from being abandoned.

Project Cuddle is funded through donors and raises much of its capital through annual events, including the Race for a Life in May and a Costume Gala in the fall.

20060111iswizjncDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)Madison Woolworth helps women who call the Project Cuddle hotline, and is shown here with a picture of twins she’s helping.