More than 1,000 books are now available in Paducah waiting rooms thanks to this student
Like many high school students, 17-year-old Keirsten Couch wanted to make a difference in her community. After seeing a book collection project, Keirsten was inspired to do a similar book project of her own.
“I thought this was a great idea to collect used books and donate them to the oncology and behavioral health waiting rooms at Lourdes Hospital,” said Keirsten, a junior at Marshall County High School. “So I asked my classmates for help, expecting maybe 50 books, but the support has been overwhelming. It feels wonderful to know that our school is helping make a difference.”
Much to Keirsten’s surprise, she and her classmates collected more than 1,000 books. The books were then presented them to The Lourdes Foundation and are now readily available in several waiting rooms throughout Lourdes Hospital and Lourdes Medical Pavilion.
“Reading can be a wonderful escape from health problems, the stress of needing healthcare, or pain” said John Montville, Executive Director, Lourdes Oncology Service Line. “We are grateful to young people like Keirsten who try to make the world around them better and for her taking charge of this project and for the students who donated the books to help our patients and their families.”
Lourdes Foundation President Jessica Toren said the books are already making a difference.
“Our patients have enjoyed the extra reading material in our waiting rooms and we love working with young people in our community to support healthcare philanthropy,” she said. “We are very thankful to Keirsten and everyone at Marshall County High School who donated books to this project.”
To learn more about giving opportunities call 270-444-2387 or visit the website here.
The Mercy Health Foundation is designated as a 2017 High Performer by the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP). The Mercy Health Foundation is among 45 other High Performer organizations from the United States and Canada ranking in the top 75th percentile based on net production returns for 2016 results.
