While completing their Masters Degree program, Adrienne Evans and Maureen Hicks discovered exciting fairly recent research showing very favorable results by reading to infants. The benefits of being read to occurs at a much younger age than expected. After investigative conversations with many mothers, fathers, education professionals and hospital staff, Maureen and Adrienne became convinced that by sharing the research and providing the tools and support to parents of infants, a habit of reading to children will be established creating readers and a strong educational foundation.
Partnering with Cooper University Hospital, Story Storks began their educational program to parents of babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in April 2012. In order to start their reading journey, each baby receives an infant appropriate board book that the nurses personalize with the baby’s footprints. Story Storks expanded in September 2012 to the Mother Infant Unit and will reach the parents of nearly 3,000 babies each year.
We expanded to Inspira Woodbury in January 2014, and Jefferson Health Washington Township in November 2014 in Gloucester County allowing us to now serve over 5,000 babies each year in New Jersey. From there, we traveled across the bridge in order to expand to the East Stroudsburg location of the Lehigh Valley Health Network in 2016 where we delivered our first book in the state of Pennsylvania. In October 2017, we began our outreach at Jefferson Health in Center City Philadelphia.
Our mission is to continue to create future readers in other hospitals throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and beyond.
Adrienne Evans
Adrienne is a High School English teacher, adjunct reading professor, wife and mother of 2 creative and fun loving daughters. Adrienne obtained a Masters Degree in Reading Education from Rowan University in 2011. As a teacher and mom, she has always been a reading advocate and loves to see the joy of a child who has discovered a love of reading. She finds one of the most rewarding aspects of Story Storks is visiting with new parents and getting reacquainted with parents who have previously received books from volunteers.
Maureen Hicks
Maureen Hicks is a retired elementary school teacher who taught in private catholic school for 15 years, and 10 years in public education. She holds a Masters in Reading Education from Rowan University. Happily married and a mother of two girls, and a grandmother to four joyful grandchildren. As a member of book clubs and an avid reader herself, she strongly believes that every child should have the opportunity to learn how to read.