Sister M. Petra Nielsen, vice president of mission integration for Franciscan Health’s Northern Indiana division (center) stands with Joy Elementary School Better World Day student leaders following an assembly at the school last week.
Project part of Better World Day observance
Students at Joy Elementary School came together this spring to bring a little extra cheer to new parents and babies born at the Franciscan Health Michigan City Family Birth Center as part of their Better World Day project.
The students collected new baby books, toys, blankets and reusable bags, which they placed in paper bags they decorated with hand-drawn pictures and inspirational phrases.
The bags were presented to Franciscan Health Michigan City staff during an all-school assembly last week.
“These bags were created and designed with love by our students and we thank you for accepting our Better World Day project,” said Asia’ Savado, instructional coach at Joy Elementary School.
Better World Day is an annual, national event sponsored by the nonprofit EL Education. Students partner with each other and their local communities on Better World Day to celebrate meaningful student work that positively impacts the world around them.
The students developed the theme, “Spread Joy with Literacy,” and managed the collections.
Sister M. Petra Nielsen, vice president of mission integration for Franciscan Health’s Northern Indiana division, thanked the students for their efforts during the assembly.
“I’m looking at the bags and everything that you collected for the babies and the new moms that are coming to the hospital and this is amazing,” Nielsen said. “The books, the blankets, the toys you collected are going to go to these new moms and these babies and bring a little bit of joy to their life, which is really neat because you’re Joy Elementary, so you’re going to be bringing joy and making it a better world.”
