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Strengthen The Good: Debi Faris And The Garden Of Angels

Every three weeks I receive an email from Strengthen the Good announcing the latest "do gooder" to be recognized, supported and lauded. It's motto is: Don't just fight evil: Strengthen the Good. I have gladly joined in this network of bloggers, not only to pass along the information about the micro-charities that STG sponsors, but also to remind myself that there is good in this world. Some days, the overwhelming feeling that evil is winning ... not only in the world at large in lands thousands of miles from here, but in my own personal sphere ... leaves me wanting to do nothing but crawl into bed, pull the covers up over my head and lie there whimpering until all the bad goes far, far away and leaves me and my loved ones alone. But I have to fight the evil, I have to with all my might. I battle for the hearts and souls of my children against an evil they don't even recognize, as he wears the face of their father. Some days I just want to give up, give in to his evil ways and let him continue to destroy his own children ... I am tired, I am weary, I am disheartened. His hatred is winning out over my love in a battle I have been fighting for years. I have been taught that good always triumphs over evil ... but there are many days that I have my doubts.

All I can do now is Strengthen the Good ......

As you know, the intent of Strengthen The Good is to raise awareness of "micro charities"--charitable opportunities that are simple, personal, non-bureaucratic, and inspiring. Charitable opportunities where someone can feel great about giving $1, or even just from reading the story of the charity, it's sponsors, and it's beneficiaries.

Garden Of Angels is just such a charity, and we're pleased to profile Debi Faris' Garden of Angels as an example of strengthening the good.

I have wondered, when I hear of babies and children left for dead, how anyone could do something like this. How desperate, how scared ... how cold, how heartless ... could one be to do such a thing?

Here is Debi's story:

In 1996, while I had one eye on dinner and the other on the evening news, I heard a story that would change my life. I stood frozen as I listened to the reporter's account of the tragedy ... a newborn baby boy had been stuffed into a duffel bag and tossed from a speeding car along a freeway. I couldn't move, I just kept thinking about this child and wondering how we could have become a society that just throws their babies away as if they were a piece of trash.

I contacted the authorities and with the blessing of my family, I asked the Coroner's office to release the baby to us for burial. While waiting for the investigation to end on this child, I learned that there was another newborn baby boy that had been found in a dumpster, and a little girl about two years of age, who was found washed up on a beach.
On August 26, 1996, we had our first burial service for the three children. They were given the names of Matthew, Nathan and Dora.

That is the beginning of the remarkable story of Debi Faris, who took that event as inspiration to form Garden of Angels, a charity that works to provide names and legal, honorable burials for abandoned newborns. Since Debi started her work with the burials of Matthew, Nathan and Dora, she and her charity have worked to provide the dignity of a proper burial to 68 abandoned infants.

Debi decided this was not enough. As noble an endeavor this is, it would be so much better if it was unnecessary. So she lobbied for passage of California's Safe Arms for Newborns Law:

The 'Safe Arms for Newborns' law allows a parent to give up an unwanted infant with no fear of arrest or prosecution for abandonment as long as the baby has not been abused or neglected. The law does not require that names be given when the baby is surrendered. Parents are permitted to bring a newborn baby within 3 days of birth to any hospital emergency room or other designated safe haven in California.

The baby will be given medical treatment and placed in a foster or pre-adoptive home.

The law allows for a 14-day cooling off period, in case the parent may change their mind and work to reclaim their baby.
Since January 1, 2001 when the 'Safe Arms for Newborns' law went into effect, 59 newborn babies (as of July 2004) have been "safely surrendered" at hospitals within the state of California. This is a lifesaving law, but only if people know that it exists.

Don't just fight evil: Strengthen the Good ... visit the Garden of Angels web site, make a donation if you can. Check to see if your state has such a law as the Safe Arms for Newborns, and if not, write your legistlators to urge them to pass one.

And join the STG network! Together we can do better than fight the evil in the world, we can Strengthen the Good!


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