Helene Cody Foundation
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In 2008, Helene's friends and family gathered after her passing to create a foundation to carry on her legacy, choosing tenets reflecting the core values that Helene carried: community, compassion, and caring. The Helene Cody Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that has supported over $100,000 in scholarships, awards, grants, and service projects since its inception. The Helene Cody Scholars Program is a year-long community service opportunity that provides leadership development, mentoring, and funding for high school students who have ideas about how to improve the community. For questions and volunteer opportunities, please email [email protected].
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The Helene Cody Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity (Tax ID: 80-0543296). All donations are tax-deductible.
Helene selflessly gave her time and energy to any community service project that came her way. She led by example with a positive attitude and enthusiastically helped others through Girl Scouts, Church Youth Group, and many charity runs. Helene's lovable and upbeat personality, coupled with her sense of humor made her a friend to all. She bridged people together by seeking similarities and overlooking differences. She is loved, missed, and remembered by her family, her friends, her teammates, the Cranbury community, and all who were lucky enough to be a part of her life. The Helene Cody Foundation carries on Helene's legacy by presenting volunteer opportunities and resources to young people so they can improve their community and become better leaders, communicators, and problem-solvers along the way.
In addition to the college scholarships and community grants awarded through the Helene Cody Scholars program, the Helene Cody Foundation awards the Helene Cody Memorial 8th Grade Award and a $100 Princeton Running Company gift card to a Cranbury School 8th grader who is part of the cross country or track program and has shown both leadership in the sport and dedication to community service. Previous recipients include Amelia Whaley (2009), Eva Reyes (2010), Julie Bond (2011), Evelyn Monks (2012), Maddie Whaley (2013), Zoe Kim (2014), Paul Brennan (2015), Ted Janiec (2016), Daniel Dilella (2017), Connor McDowell (2018), Andrew Kenny (2019), Bronwyn Bastock (2020), Elisio Moncada (2021), Leah Bornstein (2022), and Novella Zeng (2023).
In addition to the college scholarships and community grants awarded through the Helene Cody Scholars program, the Helene Cody Foundation awards the Helene Cody Memorial 8th Grade Award and a $100 Princeton Running Company gift card to a Cranbury School 8th grader who is part of the cross country or track program and has shown both leadership in the sport and dedication to community service. Previous recipients include Amelia Whaley (2009), Eva Reyes (2010), Julie Bond (2011), Evelyn Monks (2012), Maddie Whaley (2013), Zoe Kim (2014), Paul Brennan (2015), Ted Janiec (2016), Daniel Dilella (2017), Connor McDowell (2018), Andrew Kenny (2019), Bronwyn Bastock (2020), Elisio Moncada (2021), Leah Bornstein (2022), and Novella Zeng (2023).
Projects and Scholarships Supported by the Helene Cody Foundation
Helene Cody Scholars
A community service opportunity for high school students looking to make a difference in the local community.
Projects from 2023-2024 included:
Projects from 2022-2023 included:
Projects from 2021-2022 included:
Projects from 2020-2021 included:
Projects from 2019-2020 included:
Projects from 2018-2019 included:
Projects from 2017-2018 included:
Projects from 2016-2017 included:
Helene Cody Memorial Scholarship
A $1000-$2000 college scholarship awarded to a Princeton High School student who is part of the Cross Country or Track program and has shown both leadership in the sport and dedication to community service. Previous recipients include Molly Lynch (2009), Emily Ullmann (2010), Maggie Sowa (2011), Jenna Cody (2012), Amelia Whaley (2013), Michelle Bazile (2014), Julie Bond (2015), and Maia Hauschild (2016).
Helene Cody Memorial Cadet Scholarship
A $1000 college scholarship to a Princeton High School senior who has shown outstanding service as part of the Cranbury EMS Squad. Previous recipients include Rosa Vuojolainen (2009), Virginia Rogers (2011), Ryan Hafner (2012), Jared Lipschutz (2013), Kate Sohn (2014), Kyle Currier (2015), and Isabelle Sohn (2016).
Matching Grants to Youth Groups
The fundraising efforts from the youth group at the First Presbyterian Church in Cranbury have been matched by the Helene Cody Foundation up to $1000 for their Mission Trips to:
Youth Community Service Projects
The Helene Cody Foundation has financially supported several community service projects initiated by local youth including:
Local Community Service Projects
The Helene Cody Foundation has:
Partnership with Girls on the Run
Fun, evidence-based programs that inspire all girls to build their confidence, kindness and decision making skills:
Fulfilling Christmas Wishes
The Giving Tree is an annual event where sponsors are matched with a child in need and are able to grant the child's Christmas wish by purchasing a gift for him or her. The Helene Cody Foundation has partnered with Charmed by Claire (2009-2014) and Zenergy Wellness Center & Little Owl Enrichment Center (2015) to display a Giving Tree in the shop so customers have the opportunity to select a tag, purchase a gift, and return it to the store so it can be delivered to HomeFront. Volunteers from the Helene Cody Foundation select the remaining tags and purchase gifts for those children in need. With the help of volunteers, we were able to fulfill the wishes of 25-100 of the most vulnerable clients at HomeFront each year from 2009-2015.
Parties for the Clients and Their Children
Volunteers from the Helene Cody Foundation hosted parties for the children at the HomeFront Family Preservation Center (2009-2015). These ranged from birthday parties celebrating the children in the center with a birthday that month to winter parties where we decorated gingerbread houses with the children to "activity day" parties with arts and crafts. We brought anywhere between 5 and 15 volunteers, and spent 2-3 hours playing games and entertaining the children. This project brings together a diverse group of people and strengthens the sense of community across socioeconomic classes in Central New Jersey.
Financial Sponsorship
The Helene Cody Foundation has annually donated $2000-$5000 for the children at HomeFront to be able to attend summer camps (2010-2015).
A community service opportunity for high school students looking to make a difference in the local community.
Projects from 2023-2024 included:
- Skeet’s Closet: Distribution of 200 bundles of baby and toddler clothing to families in need.
- Preservation Below: Project to clean, organize, and label artifacts in the Cranbury Museum.
- Cards for Soldiers: Card-making workshops for children to send to soldiers overseas.
- Chess Queens: Chess club to teach and mentor girls in grades 3-5.
- Packaged With Care: Creation of 72 care packages for pediatric and adult cancer patients.
- Sawyer’s Sock Drive for TASK: Sock drive to benefit patrons of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
- Skeet’s Toy Closet (co-led by 3 students): Distribution of 500 toys, clothes, and school supplies in partnership with the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury where families in need could shop for their choice of gifts, free of charge. Donation of 100 toys to students at special needs school.
Projects from 2022-2023 included:
- Braille short stories: Translation of short stories from local students and showcase in the public library.
- Paperback Pals: book club for students with autism and school supply drive for Afghan refugees.
- Civic engagement workshops and video resources for local students.
- Donation of crocheted items to women impacted by domestic violence.
- Cycling safety workshop and activities at the Cranbury Health and Wellness fair.
- Series of educational and fun STEM workshops for elementary students.
- Sewing handmade bags and hosting a hygiene drive to support women impacted by domestic violence.
Projects from 2021-2022 included:
- Financial Literacy for Youth: Series of workshops to teach financial literacy to kids
- Care to Create: Assembly of goody bags and an origami crane display for hospital patients
- PHS Women’s Health Club: Collection of diapers and women’s products for those in need
- STEM For Social Good: Workshops to make technology more accessible for social good
- Environmental awareness workshops where participants decorated reusable canvas bags
- Construction of an inclusive sensory trail in Middlebush Park, Franklin Township
Projects from 2020-2021 included:
- Skeet’s Closet: Expansion of Skeet’s food pantry in Cranbury to provide baby clothes to families in need
- Books & Barks: Creation of an online library of students reading books with their dogs for children in the hospital
- Girls Crack the Code: Creation and implementation of a series of 25 coding workshops for girls
- Building Connections: A social language development program for children with autism spectrum disorder
- Sandwiches for Smiles: Coordination of a series of donations of brown bag lunches to address food insecurity
- Custom Woodworking: Construction of custom wood furniture for families and organizations in need
- COVID-19 Booklets for Kids: Booklet to spread awareness about preventing the spread of COVID-19
- Spectrum Robotics: After-school program providing STEAM learning opportunities to children with autism
- Speak with Urvi: Creation and teaching a series of public speaking workshops for girls
- Front Line Appreciation Group (FLAG Jr.): group to provide appreciation bags to frontline workers in the community
Projects from 2019-2020 included:
- Creation of a club called the Boomerang Project with the aim to bridge the gap between mainstream and special needs students
- Letters of love and mini concert connecting youth and elderly nursing home residents during the period of social isolation
- Creation of educational content to raise awareness of the deaf and deaf/blind culture
- Assembling and distributing birthday boxes to bring joy to families in need
- Teaching kindergarten students environmentalism with worms
Projects from 2018-2019 included:
- Writing workshop series to promote literacy skills in elementary school students
- Music composition workshop to encourage students learning to play an instrument to continue practicing
- Technology workshop to teach about smart home devices
- Student-led concert series for elderly residents at the Elms Nursing Home
- Collection of donated standardized test preparation books to provide for students in underserved areas
- Mindfulness workshop and stress-reduction booklet to improve wellness in high school students
Projects from 2017-2018 included:
- Technology programs to promote intergenerational interactions at the Cranbury Library
- Christmas present drive for needy children in the Trenton area
- A program to educate volunteers and improve matches for pet adoptions through SAVE Animal Shelter
- Outdoor seating to promote positive interactions between high school students
- Planting native plants and raising environmental awareness among elementary school students
- Creating custom pillow cases and neonatal supplies to raise the spirits of pediatric hospital patients
Projects from 2016-2017 included:
- Food and supply drives for the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen
- A STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) extracurricular program for Cranbury School students
- Lacrosse clinics and uniforms for underserved girls in the Trenton area
- Programs to promote inter-generational interactions at the Cranbury Senior Center
- A Christmas present drive for needy children in the Trenton area.
Helene Cody Memorial Scholarship
A $1000-$2000 college scholarship awarded to a Princeton High School student who is part of the Cross Country or Track program and has shown both leadership in the sport and dedication to community service. Previous recipients include Molly Lynch (2009), Emily Ullmann (2010), Maggie Sowa (2011), Jenna Cody (2012), Amelia Whaley (2013), Michelle Bazile (2014), Julie Bond (2015), and Maia Hauschild (2016).
Helene Cody Memorial Cadet Scholarship
A $1000 college scholarship to a Princeton High School senior who has shown outstanding service as part of the Cranbury EMS Squad. Previous recipients include Rosa Vuojolainen (2009), Virginia Rogers (2011), Ryan Hafner (2012), Jared Lipschutz (2013), Kate Sohn (2014), Kyle Currier (2015), and Isabelle Sohn (2016).
Matching Grants to Youth Groups
The fundraising efforts from the youth group at the First Presbyterian Church in Cranbury have been matched by the Helene Cody Foundation up to $1000 for their Mission Trips to:
- Ocean Grove, N.J., as part of a "Missions 101" to help refurbish local homes and churches (2009-2010),
- Camp Johnsonburg to repair and paint camp buildings, local churches, and to donate scholarship money for children to attend camp (2011-2012),
- Brick, N.J. to help with Hurricane Sandy Relief (2013), and
- Braxton, W.V. to help alleviate poverty in the area (2014-2015).
Youth Community Service Projects
The Helene Cody Foundation has financially supported several community service projects initiated by local youth including:
- Peter Sockler's Eagle Scout Project to build a bench at the West Property in Cranbury (2010-2011)
- Alex Jost's Eagle Scout Project to build benches at the Cranbury Fire House (2011-2012)
- Amelia Whaley's Girl Scout Gold Award project to raise awareness for service dogs (2012-2013)
- Victoria Carroll's Girl Scout Gold Award project to send care packages and letters of thanks to our military in Iraq and Afghanistan (2012-2013)
- Helmets, padding and supplies for Charlie Ill's summer skateboard camp at Homefront (2015)
Local Community Service Projects
The Helene Cody Foundation has:
- Sponsored and sent volunteers to the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association's stream clean-up (2009-2012)
- Created an origami crane display for the Pediatric Unit at the Princeton Hospital (now transferred to the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro) as a symbol of hope, good luck, and good health according to the ancient Japanese legend (2010)
- Donated $500 to provide relief for the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and donated pizza and supplies for a fundraiser at Princeton High School (2011)
- Sponsored a matching grant for a Fashion Show fundraiser hosted by Princeton High School's End Childhood Hunger Organization (ECHO; 2013-2014)
- Matching grant to purchase supplies for a 9/11 Memorial at Heritage Park in Cranbury to commemorate the lives lost on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Led by former Helene Cody Scholars Donovan Mavoides, Gavin Mavoides, and Tess Staples (2021).
Partnership with Girls on the Run
Fun, evidence-based programs that inspire all girls to build their confidence, kindness and decision making skills:
- Donation of $1500 (2024) to support the NJ East Chapter of Girls on the Run in Trenton and Hamilton, NJ.
- Donation of $1500 (2024) to support the NJ Central Chapter of Girls on the Run in Cranbury and starting up a new program in Perth Amboy, NJ.
Fulfilling Christmas Wishes
The Giving Tree is an annual event where sponsors are matched with a child in need and are able to grant the child's Christmas wish by purchasing a gift for him or her. The Helene Cody Foundation has partnered with Charmed by Claire (2009-2014) and Zenergy Wellness Center & Little Owl Enrichment Center (2015) to display a Giving Tree in the shop so customers have the opportunity to select a tag, purchase a gift, and return it to the store so it can be delivered to HomeFront. Volunteers from the Helene Cody Foundation select the remaining tags and purchase gifts for those children in need. With the help of volunteers, we were able to fulfill the wishes of 25-100 of the most vulnerable clients at HomeFront each year from 2009-2015.
Parties for the Clients and Their Children
Volunteers from the Helene Cody Foundation hosted parties for the children at the HomeFront Family Preservation Center (2009-2015). These ranged from birthday parties celebrating the children in the center with a birthday that month to winter parties where we decorated gingerbread houses with the children to "activity day" parties with arts and crafts. We brought anywhere between 5 and 15 volunteers, and spent 2-3 hours playing games and entertaining the children. This project brings together a diverse group of people and strengthens the sense of community across socioeconomic classes in Central New Jersey.
Financial Sponsorship
The Helene Cody Foundation has annually donated $2000-$5000 for the children at HomeFront to be able to attend summer camps (2010-2015).
Board Members
Linda Morris, President, Secretary
Jenna Cody Carcione, Vice President
Winthrop Cody, Treasurer
Gerard Hanson, Trustee
Noel Kinney, Trustee
Susan Mavoides, Trustee
Amir Moon, Trustee
5K Project Director: Suzanne Carroll
Jenna Cody Carcione, Vice President
Winthrop Cody, Treasurer
Gerard Hanson, Trustee
Noel Kinney, Trustee
Susan Mavoides, Trustee
Amir Moon, Trustee
5K Project Director: Suzanne Carroll