My name is JP Kinney and I am a senior at Princeton High School. This is my rescue dog Miley! As a Helene Cody Scholar, I started Books & Barks during my sophomore year in order to bring some happiness to the children staying at the Princeton Hospital. As a child, I had to stay in the hospital many times because of a rare bone disease and I still need to be there for regular infusions and testing. I also face challenges with Tourette's Syndrome. I hope that listening to these stories, and meeting these students and their pets, will help to put a smile on your face!
ABOUT ME
about my project
On October 26, 2008, Helene Marilyn Cody passed away on her 16th birthday from a brain aneurysm. The Helene Cody Foundation was formed to honor Helene. The Foundation's mission is to inspire youth to volunteer, to better their communities, and themselves. Each year, a group of high school students is selected to receive mentoring and funding for a community service project that they design and carry out over the academic year. As a Helene Cody Scholar, I decided to combine my love of animals with the importance of reading to create a way to raise the spirits of children staying in the hospital.
Thanks to a generous donation from the Cranbury United Methodist Women, I was able to donate a new Chromebook to the pediatric floor of the Princeton Hospital. The nurses hand out a card with information about Books & Barks to all the patients when they check-in. They can watch and listen to the stories on the Chromebook if they want. The nurses have told me the kids love listening to the stories!
