In November a Robbinsville High School sophomore started the ONE Project Youth Council Club and in January completed her first community service project.
ROBBINSVILLE -- After being independently involved and inspired by the nonprofit ONE Project, a Robbinsville High School sophomore started a student chapter of the organization.
Ashley Stamboulian recently completed her first community service project with the group she started.
"Our club's purpose is to help as many people in the community as possible while also educating one another on social needs," said Stamboulian, who leads the ONE Project Youth Council Club at the school.
Stamboulian established the ONE club at Robbinsville High in November after volunteering her freshman year in the Robbinsville-based nonprofit's NJ Hunger Project.
Ashley Stamboulian (right) with Jenna Pugh, the Assistant Director of Event Fundraising and Community Partnerships at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Just a few months later, on Jan. 29 Stamboulian successfully completed her first project - the 2015-2016 Kindness Project - by raising gift items for hospitalized children.
"The Youth Council started the process of our first project by narrowing down different groups that could use our help - hungry, homeless, patients," Stamboulian said. "Research led club members to realize that although pediatric patients are comforted by staff and family, they oftentimes feel disconnected or forgotten about."
After recruiting 30 club members who helped raise and package 700 gifts for pediatric patients, Stamboulian said the council delivered items such as board games, craft kits and toys to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's (CHOP) Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy department.
"The student group wanted to reassure these children that their bravery and strength is inspiring and definitely not something to be overlooked," she said.
In addition to the gifts delivered to CHOP, Stamboulian said council members also wrote out 450 inspirational letters to be mailed to Cards for Hospitalized Kids, a Chicago-based organization that will send the notes to various pediatric hospitals across the country.
Stamboulian's efforts also garnered attention from local businesses and individuals who helped with the project's fundraising.
Stamboulian said the Trenton studio All for Dance helped collect gift donations from studio families. The studio partnered a few months ago with ONE Project in Robbinsville, alerting them to Stamboulian's Kindness Project.
"Not only do we encourage our dancers to be the best they can be in the classrooms but we encourage them to be the best they can in life," studio owner Holly Yablonowitz said. "We were proud to take part in such a great cause and hope to work with ONE Project for many years to come."
The Friendly's location in the Foxmoor Shopping Center also contributed by organizing an ice cream sundae sale after the Robbinsville High School winter pep rally, Stamboulian said.
Even students from Pond Road Middle School in Robbinsville helped Stamboulian's cause by contributing care cards.
"I would personally like to thank everyone who contributed to the Kindness Project in our collaborative efforts to brighten patients' days," Stamboulian said. "Being surrounded by other students and community members who share the same passion for giving back is humbling and shows the true essence of our town."
For her next project, Stamboulian said the youth council will focus on helping the homeless and hungry by volunteering at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
Lindsay Rittenhouse may be reached at lrittenhouse@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.