AMSA at Johnstone Elementary School in Vineland has made a commitment to kindness, embracing service learning in a whole new way. Monthly donation drives have already begun. For September’s commitment to kindness, AMSA staff and students collected over 900 new and gently used books. These will be donated to Inspira’s Vineland Campus.

Says Beth Daddario, director of Volunteers, Retail, and Guest Services at Inspira Health, “I am overwhelmed at the generosity of the students! The books will be donated directly to various areas of the Maternal Child Health Department, which will include Pediatrics, Mother/Baby, and even in Labor and Delivery for the siblings. Additionally, we will be sharing with books with our Pediatric Emergency Department for both our patients and siblings to help make a stressful time a little less stressful. On behalf of Inspira Health, I thank the students for their hard work and huge act of kindness.”

In addition to the collections, students made a peace pledge, are performing intentional acts of kindness, and providing anonymous third-party compliments.

For the month of October, soldiers will be recipients of care packages, including candy collected by AMSA staff and students in partnership with Operation Gratitude.