St. Joseph's Medical Center Partners with Stockton Unified School District to Launch Humankindness Student Ambassador Program

STOCKTON, May 6, 2019 - Dignity Health - St. Joseph’s Medical Center is proud to partner with Stockton Unified School District (SUSD) to launch the Hello Humankindness Student Ambassador Program. The program is inspired by Dignity Health’s believe that acts of humankindness create powerful connections that strengthen the human spirit and bring people closer together. 

The Hello Humankindness Student Ambassador Program seeks to both inspire students to spread kindness and recognize them for their efforts to make our community a better place. 

“Humankindness is alive in our youth and in our schools” said Sister Abby Newton, OP, Vice President, Mission Integration, St. Joseph’s Medical Center. “We’re excited to hear and shine a light on the stories of kindness that will emerge from our schools as this program grows.” 

Each month, SUSD will select a student(s) to receive the Hello Humankindness Student Ambassador recognition. The selected student will be recognized by representatives from St. Joseph’s and will be featured in a video that highlights their act of kindness and how they go above and beyond to be kind. 

“The random and planned acts of kindness initiated by the students of Stockton Unified continue to warm our hearts,” said Dr. Shelley Spessard, SUSD Director of Marketing and Communications. “We are overwhelmed by the empathy our students have for one another ad the world around them. The students of Stockton Unified are committed to changing the world through acts of Kindness.”

The first students to be recognized as Hello Humankindness Student Ambassadors hail from Peyton Elementary School. Ms. Hien Nguyen’s Leadership Class of 7th and 8th graders has demonstrated kindness, compassion, and a true commitment to those in need in our community.

Their many acts of kindness include hosting a school-wide fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society which raised more than $5,000. The students also collected more than 2,058 canned food items for the Stockton Emergency Food Bank, and over 4,000 hygiene products for the Stockton Homeless Shelter.

Visit https://youtu.be/CdDRheTN5I4 to watch the inspiring story of our first round of Hello Humankindness Student Ambassadors.

Media Contacts: 

Dignity Health
Jennifer Jones, Communications Manager
(209) 461-5443  |  [email protected] 

Stockton Unified School District
Dr. Shelley Spessard, Director of Marketing and Communications
(209) 933-7025  |  [email protected]

 
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About St. Joseph's Medical Center
St. Joseph's Medical Center is a not-for-profit, fully accredited, regional hospital with 347 beds, a physician staff of over 600, and more than 2,300 employees. St. Joseph's specializes in cardiovascular care, comprehensive cancer services, and women and children's services including neonatal intensive care. St. Joseph's is the largest hospital, as well as one of the largest private employers in San Joaquin County. In addition to being nationally recognized as a quality leader, St. Joseph's is consistently chosen as the "most preferred hospital" by local consumers. Founded in 1899 by Fr. William O'Connor and administered by the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, St. Joseph's continues to lead the region in medical innovation. St. Joseph's Medical Center is committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality, affordable health care services with special attention to the poor and underserved. In fiscal year 2018, St. Joseph’s Medical Center provided more than $15 million in patient financial assistance, unreimbursed costs of Medicaid, Community Health Improvement services and other community benefits. St. Joseph's Medical Center is a member of Dignity Health, a system of ancillary care sites, medical foundations, and acute care hospitals serving California, Arizona and Nevada. 

About Stockton Unified School District
Stockton Unified School District (SUSD) began providing services to students in 1852 and is located in the heart of California’s Central Valley near the banks of the San Joaquin River. SUSD is the 17th largest school district in California, whereby 38,000 PK-12th grade students come to us to experience an academic journey that leads to high school graduation and success in college, careers, and as actively-engaged community members. The District also serves a number of adults through our Stockton School For Adults. SUSD is made up of thirty-seven Head Start classes, fifty-three state preschool classes, three First 5 preschool classes, forty-one K-8 schools, four comprehensive high schools, three small high schools, an alternative high school, a special education school, a school for adults, and five dependent charter schools.  Our district mission is to graduate every single youth college, career, and community ready.  Stockton Unified School District is dedicated to providing high quality first instruction, rigorous curriculum, and supporting academic achievement and social-emotional development supported by Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).  The District's work is guided by three focal goals:

• Every child by the end of third grade will read and comprehend at the proficient level.
• Every child will have access to high quality, rigorous first instruction.
• Every child, by the end of 12th grade, will graduate and be college, career, and community ready.