Bishops endorse work of ‘Safe Haven'

Organization that helps abandoned newborns receives letter of support from Florida 's bishops

“Baby Gloria,” saved through A Safe Haven for Newborns, is now two years old and living with adoptive parents in Kentucky. COURTESY PHOTO

“The vision and the hope of this program are very encouraging to us,” the bishops wrote in their letter. “We are grateful for your efforts and encouraged by your success in saving individual lives.
Yours is a special and unique contribution to the growing effort in our state that emphasizes the sanctity of life. Your efforts, and those of all involved in A Safe Haven for Newborns, play an important role in strengthening the fabric of our society, actively defending human life and protecting human dignity in these most special circumstances.”

While energized by this show of support, Nick Silverio, a Miami resident and founder of A Safe Haven for Newborns, says,
“We have a long way to go. It is a never-ending process. While we have 41 chapters statewide, we have 26 more we would like to get on board.” (One chapter for each county in Florida .)

Miami Archbishop John C. Favalora, a recent appointment to Safe Haven's advisory board, told The Florida Catholic, “I applaud the work of Nick Silverio and A Safe Haven for Newborns because our commitment to life must extend to helping women who are under such emotional and financial strain that the only solution they can come up with is abandoning their babies. We need to let them know that there are places where their children will be safe, cared for and given an opportunity to grow up in a loving home.”

Safe Haven volunteers maintain a hotline 24/7 which is trilingual and assists those who may be considering giving up their child. Once a caller reaches out for help, she is made aware of the state law that allows a mother to drop off a child at a designated facility, such as a hospital or fire station, with no criminal consequences. Callers also are told the location of the drop-off point nearest to them. To date, 39 newborns have been saved.

One success story is the child affectionately known as “baby Gloria,” who was adopted by Lori and Mike Lewis of Kentucky . Within 48 hours of her birth, Safe Haven received a call from the mother, who left the child at a fire station.

“The mother had knowledge of A Safe Haven from our public awareness efforts and called the hotline,” Silverio said.

The Lewises are foster parents who were in touch with Kids in Distress, a nationally accredited agency dedicated to the prevention of child abuse, the preservation of the family and the care and treatment of abused and neglected children. Within three days, the Lewises took guardianship of baby Gloria and eventually obtained permanent custody.

“She is the light of our lives,” said Lori Lewis. “Nick works so hard to promote Safe Haven and it is working.”

The Lewises were so inspired by their experience that they created Camp Safe Haven, a place for neglected children, in their home state.

Baby Gloria will have a lasting memory of her biological mother when she grows up. When dropping off Gloria at the fire station, her mother left two letters with her, one for the parents-to-be and the other for the child.

“She just wants her to know she did what was best for her future,” Silverio said.

Ironically, “baby Gloria” bears the name of Silverio's wife, whose death inspired Nick to establish a charitable foundation and through it fund the Safe Haven project. The Gloria M. Silverio Foundation is making plans to expand its mission.

“Many calls to the hotline come from people that do not want to give up their child but do not know where to go. They want to carry their babies to term, have been kicked out of their homes for whatever reason and simply need help,” Silverio said. “We think there is a niche that needs to be filled with transitional housing for these women and we want to put together plans to fulfill it.”

For more information, go to www.asafehavenfornewborns.com.