Ten-year-old Lily Cuticchia of Haddon Township, NJ, is back at it again, opening her heart and hands to help others in need. The fifth-grade student at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Haddon Township recently visited Cooper University Hospital to donate more than 600 backpacks filled with blankets and personal care items to help patients at Cooper’s Center for Healing who are facing homelessness.
It was in 2020 during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic that Lily first began her outreach efforts on behalf of Cooper patients. At that time, Lily collected more than 1,200 pairs of men’s, women’s, and children’s socks to help patients in need.
Since then, Lily has continued her generous outreach, holding bake sales and other fundraisers to purchase items for backpack care kits. To date, Lily has raised money and donated more than 800 backpacks to Cooper. Her philanthropic efforts don’t stop there. In 2022, Lily raised more than $2,200 for an animal shelter in Gloucester County.
“Lily has always had a big heart and I have always encouraged her to help others,” said Lily’s mother, Jordan Warner, a team member at Cooper’s Center for Healing, a program that provides a wide range of services for patients with substance use disorders. Learning about her mother’s job was the impetus for Lily’s philanthropy.
“Year after year we are amazed and humbled by Lily and her desire to help others. She is a role model for people of all ages,” said Rachel Haroz, MD, FAACT, Center Head of Cooper’s Center for Healing. “We consider Lily an honorary member of our team.”
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