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Project Hope Floats
Kathey Osenbau
Caring Ministries Coordinator
(480) 899-1990 ext. 136
Project Hope Floats is a non-profit organization with the sole purpose of saving the lives of newborn babies. St. Andrew the Apostle is part of the network of "Safe Havens" throughout the state. A mother, without fear of judgment as criminally negligent, can choose to leave her baby with us in safety rather than abandoning it to some unknown fate.
A 24-hour "HotLine" phone is located in the northwest corner of the St. Andrew's courtyard. "Missionaries" monitor the cellular phone that will ring if a mother activates the "hotline." A missionary will come to the church to receive the baby, take the baby for a medical check up, and contact Child Protective Services. Volunteers are requested to carry the phone for 7 days at a time.
Volunteer Procedures
1. Weekly Phone Monitoring
On Sunday, meet the previous week's volunteer at a designed time and place to exchange phone, phone charger, diaper bag (contains blanket, wipes, first aid kit, diapers, clothing), and infant car seat.
During this exchange, please pick-up the hotline phone at the church to ensure that it is working, and that the cell phone rings. The diaper bag also contains the information and flyers to give to parents.
The phone remains on 24 hours a day. There is voice-mail recording on the phone.
2. Receiving A Call
If you receive a call from someone wishing to leave a baby, acknowledge that they are at the church. Let them know how long you think it will take you to arrive at the church. Do not go to the church alone. (Note: When you come to the church, if the parent is not in the courtyard area, please walk the property to make sure that a baby wasn't left in some other area.) Notify a church employee or volunteer coordinator immediately.
3. Receiving the baby
When you receive the baby, if the baby is in distress, use the cell phone to dial 911 immediately. Otherwise, gather some information if the parent wishes to release it. The information would be birth date, and medical conditions.
Remember: To avoid prosecution under the Safe Haven law the baby must be no more than 72 hours old.
4. Take baby to the Emergency Room
at either Chandler Hospital, 475 S. Dobson Rd (Frye and Dobson Rd), or Desert Samarian Hospital,1400 S. Dobson Rd. (US 60 and Dobson Rd). Identify yourself as a volunteer receiving a newborn baby at a Project Hope Floats safe haven.
5. Call Child Protection Services at 1-888-271-2445.
Identify yourself at a volunteer with Project Hope Floats at St. Andrews Catholic Church. Let them know you have just received a newborn baby and give the location of the hospital you are at with the baby. You may be listed as a contact person with CPS and may need to provide them a description of the parents. This is solely for their procedures for exhausting all means to identify the parents.
For information and assistance, contact Ms. Kathey Osenbau, our Coordinator of Caring Ministries.