Rochester Storybook Project

The Rochester Storybook Project located at the Monroe Correctional Facility, 750 East Henrietta Road in Brighton NY, has just begun operations as of February 2016.  In the planning stages for over a year, our project is collaborating 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”). 

 With our project, incarcerated parents of young children 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 reading 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 is presently seeking 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 us by clicking the “Contact” link on this website, and filling out the form.  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!

 The Rochester Storybook Project, is an outreach program of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church located at 3825 East Henrietta Road, Henrietta  NY, 14467, and with financial assistance from the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester NY.  Those wishing to make tax deductible donations to the Rochester Storybook Project, can do so by sending checks to this address made out to “St. Peter’s Episcopal Church”, with “Rochester Storybook Project” written on the memo line.  St. Peter’s can be contacted by phone at 585.334.1110, or via email at office@stpetershenrietta.org.