MAHWAH, NEW JERSEY, JUNE 6, 2025—Our Jozii Ruiz and her son Micai went to New Jersey to pick up more than 200 books to bring back for pediatric dental patients at UConn Health June 5.
The books were donated by the partnership of Tata Sons North America and First Book. First Book, out of Washington, D.C., is an ally of the AFT, and Jozii has forged a relationship with First Book through her union activism (UHP is an AFT affiliate).
“I wrote about my patients who we see in the clinic and the OR and the importance of them having something to read,”Jozii says. “I shared that we have a recovery room and that every child who goes to the OR gets a book to read while they are recovering from surgery. When we arrived, the First Book staff was very welcoming and excited about what we do with our children and they kept filling our wagon with books, as our situation is unique but serves such a good purpose.”