Rochester Storybook Project

Hello World!

About the Rochester Storybook Project: Celebrating our 10th Anniversary During 2025.

The Rochester Storybook Project, now located at the Monroe County Jail in Downtown

Rochester NY, began operations in 2015. It was inspired by a collaboration with the

Northeast Storybook Project, which has been operating for over a decade at the Ontario

County Jail located in Hopewell, NY (Click on “Ministries” and then “Northeast Storybook

Project”.

Our project serves incarcerated parents of young children who are invited to choose a short

story, then record a reading of the story onto a CD. The CDs are mailed to each of their

children along with new copies of the respective storybooks. Each child can then read

along in the book while listening to his or her parent read the story. In so doing, this

program benefits both the child and the parent. Children get to hear their mother’s or

father’s voice talking directly to them, which helps to ease the pain of separation during the

time of the parent’s incarceration. Also, children are more likely to develop an interest in

reading, which so often happens when parents at home read stories to their children each

day.  For the parent, the program offers comfort in making a loving connection with their

children during this time of separation from home.

The Rochester Storybook Project welcomes volunteers to assist in making recordings

inside the facility, as well as to help with other miscellaneous tasks that need to be done

outside the facility. To be approved for service inside the facility, volunteers must be 18

years of age or older, and be approved by both the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, as well

as by the Rochester Storybook Project team. Those interested in volunteering with our

project should contact our coordinator, Britt Hopkin, by phone at (585) 309-6345, or via

email at RochesterStorybookProject@)gmail.com.  We’ll be glad to speak with you and send you the appropriate information and facility access applications.  We are also

 interested in exploring volunteer opportunities to serve this project from outside the

facility,  and even those that might involve the help of young children.   All ideas are

welcome!