Mothers Can Leave Newborns at 'Hope Box' in Safety

A pair of Cobb County women are setting out to create a unique safe space for mothers to leave their newborn babies to ensure the little ones are well-taken care of now and in the future.

Sarah Koeppen and Tiffany Turolla co-founded ”The Hope Box” as a no-questions asked facility where mothers unable or unwilling to care for their newborns can “hand over their babies anonymously with comfort in knowing they will be placed into a loving family,” the nonprofit’s website says.

The Hope Box’s methods are based off of a South Korean minister’s program, which was the subject of the documentary film “The Drop Box.” The Hope Box has facilities under construction in Acworth and Albany and will be the first such program in the United States, 11 Alive News said.

Mothers who choose to leave their babies with The Hope Box place the baby in a drawer installed inside a door at the Hope Box facility, slide the drawer shut, and lock the door.

Immediately after the door is locked, medical professionals retrieve and begin caring for the newborn. Once the newborn is examined, he or she is placed under the care of the organization’s volunteers.

The Hope Box also contacts the Embracing Life Adoption Agency to ensure the newborn is placed with a family as soon as possible.

Turolla told 11 Alive News that the Atlanta area was an ideal location for such a compassionate service, citing the claim that Atlanta is the top city for sex trafficking.

The Hope Box is a nonprofit and relies on donations and volunteer assistance to operate. Those interested in donating to the the program may do so on the organization’s website. Donations will go to The Hope Box’s building fund, pay for engineering the box itself, pay for administrative costs and supplies, and more.

Volunteers may also join the program on the website. Volunteers will be needed for general work as well as professional medical services. The Hope Box is seeking the assistance of medical professionals and medical students to handle the organization’s neonatal care needs.