For 25 years, Maria Del Toro has dedicated her life to supporting children and families as both a daycare provider and foster parent. Her home has become a safe, loving, and inclusive place where children are nurtured, celebrated, and treated as family. Her commitment extends far beyond daily care, as she builds lifelong relationships with the children and parents she supports. She has celebrated graduations and weddings, welcomed the next generation, and even become a godparent to many of the children who have been in her care.

As a bilingual provider, she creates an environment where children feel valued and supported while embracing different abilities, backgrounds, and individual needs. She also serves as a trusted resource for parents, offering guidance, encouragement, and connections to school programs and community resources. Her dedication reaches beyond her home through advocacy for affordable, accessible childcare and her efforts to represent child care providers at the state level.

Through 25 years of compassion, advocacy, and unwavering dedication, Maria has made a lasting impact on countless children and families, becoming not only a caregiver but a cherished and trusted part of their lives.

Madalyn Nakata has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to supporting children and families through her volunteer service at Saint Luke’s summer camp and Health Plan of San Joaquin. Over the past two summers, Madalyn has dedicated approximately 700 volunteer hours as a camp counselor, working directly with around 40 children.

Beyond leading activities, Madalyn recognizes the importance of being a trusted adult who listens, encourages, and makes every child feel valued. Her consistency and compassion have helped create a safe, welcoming environment where children feel supported and heard. By returning for a second summer, she demonstrated her genuine investment in building relationships and making a lasting difference in young lives.

Madalyn’s commitment extends beyond the camp environment. Through her volunteer work with Health Plan of San Joaquin, she helped connect underserved communities with healthcare resources, recognizing the importance of accessible care for children and families. Her efforts reflect a thoughtful understanding that supporting children means addressing both their emotional well-being and their essential needs.

Through her time, compassion, and dedication, Madalyn continues to show that meaningful service begins with showing up, listening, and making sure every child has the opportunity to thrive.

Langston Hughes is creating meaningful opportunities for students while helping strengthen the future of early childhood education through its participation in the P3 – Paid Pathway to Teaching Preschool program. By connecting high school completion, college coursework, and paid preschool internships, Langston Hughes is helping students turn their interest in education into rewarding career opportunities.

The inaugural P3 cohort achieved an important milestone, with all nine participating students successfully completing the program and graduating. Each graduate earned 12 college units in Early Childhood Education through Delta College while gaining hands-on experience working in preschool classrooms. These accomplishments provide students with valuable professional skills, a foundation for pursuing an Associate or Assistant Teaching Permit, and a pathway toward continued education and employment.

Langston Hughes played an essential role in making this success possible by assigning a full-time College and Career Pathways Manager to guide students through the demands of balancing high school, college coursework, and paid internships. Through consistent mentorship, coordination, and encouragement, the school helped students navigate challenges and stay on track toward graduation.

Recognizing the program’s potential, Langston Hughes has committed to continuing the pathway for future students. This investment not only creates opportunities for young people to earn while they learn but also addresses a critical need within San Joaquin County: a qualified and sustainable early childhood education workforce.

By preparing local students to become the next generation of early educators, Langston Hughes is helping expand childcare opportunities, support working families, and strengthen the community. Its commitment demonstrates how investing in students today can create lasting opportunities for children and families tomorrow.

Langston Hughes is creating meaningful opportunities for students while helping strengthen the future of early childhood education through its participation in the P3 – Paid Pathway to Teaching Preschool program. By connecting high school completion, college coursework, and paid preschool internships, Langston Hughes is helping students turn their interest in education into rewarding career opportunities.

The inaugural P3 cohort achieved an important milestone, with all nine participating students successfully completing the program and graduating. Each graduate earned 12 college units in Early Childhood Education through Delta College while gaining hands-on experience working in preschool classrooms. These accomplishments provide students with valuable professional skills, a foundation for pursuing an Associate or Assistant Teaching Permit, and a pathway toward continued education and employment.

Langston Hughes played an essential role in making this success possible by assigning a full-time College and Career Pathways Manager to guide students through the demands of balancing high school, college coursework, and paid internships. Through consistent mentorship, coordination, and encouragement, the school helped students navigate challenges and stay on track toward graduation.

Recognizing the program’s potential, Langston Hughes has committed to continuing the pathway for future students. This investment not only creates opportunities for young people to earn while they learn but also addresses a critical need within San Joaquin County: a qualified and sustainable early childhood education workforce.

By preparing local students to become the next generation of early educators, Langston Hughes is helping expand childcare opportunities, support working families, and strengthen the community. Its commitment demonstrates how investing in students today can create lasting opportunities for children and families tomorrow.

Haggerty Construction believes that building stronger communities starts with investing in the people who make them thrive. For the company, supporting children and families extends far beyond its work in construction. It is a core part of its culture, demonstrated through employee volunteerism, community partnerships, financial contributions, and a shared commitment to making a lasting difference.

Haggerty empowers its employees to become active community leaders, supporting their involvement as youth sports coaches, nonprofit board members, mentors, fundraisers, and advocates. Team members have served organizations including the Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC), San Joaquin County Office of Education Educational Foundation, CASA of San Joaquin County, and Red Rhino Outreach. The company also supports local families through partnerships, sponsorships, and donations to organizations such as Family Promise and United Way.

For more than five years, Haggerty has partnered with CASA of San Joaquin County for its Annual Superhero Run, helping raise awareness and resources for local youth. The company has also supported Team Elevate through a silent auction that raised $5,000 for programs benefiting young people. Its commitment reaches beyond San Joaquin County as well. Through Ryan Haggerty’s service as a board member of Red Rhino Outreach, the company supports efforts benefiting at-risk youth in Kenya, Africa, where a children’s center provides access to education, resources, and opportunities.

Haggerty’s commitment to service begins with its leadership. The company encourages employees to participate in leadership development programs such as American Leadership Forum, Leadership Stockton, and Leadership Lodi, providing financial support and flexibility for their involvement. These experiences empower employees to identify community needs, build partnerships, organize fundraisers, and lead projects that create meaningful change.

That commitment has translated into tangible results. Within the past year, Haggerty team members have helped raise funds through CAPC’s Duck Derby to support child abuse prevention programs, contributed to an effort that raised approximately $24,000 and provided more than 2,000 backpacks to children in Lodi and surrounding communities, and worked through Leadership Stockton to develop fundraising efforts benefiting a local nonprofit focused on children’s well-being and education.

What makes Haggerty Construction’s impact especially meaningful is that community service is not viewed as a one-time event or a company obligation. It is an ongoing culture that encourages employees to find causes they care about and gives them the support to turn their passion into action. By investing in its employees and the organizations that serve children and families, Haggerty creates a ripple effect that reaches thousands of people throughout San Joaquin County and beyond.

For Haggerty Construction, investing in the community means investing in its children. Through the time, leadership, generosity, and personal commitment of its employees, the company continues to help build stronger families, brighter opportunities, and a more supportive future for the next generation.

Isaiah Battle serves as Program Manager for Youth Services at the Amelia Ann Adams Whole Life Center (AAAWLC), where he is dedicated to creating safe, supportive, and empowering spaces for young people throughout Stockton and San Joaquin County. More than a program leader, Isaiah is a mentor, advocate, and trusted adult who consistently shows up for the youth he serves.

Drawing from his own lived experiences and previous work mentoring incarcerated youth, Isaiah understands the importance of having someone who believes in your potential. He approaches every young person without judgment, recognizing that their circumstances, mistakes, or involvement with systems do not define their future. Instead, he helps youth recognize their strengths, build confidence, and envision new possibilities.

Isaiah oversees Wonka’s Crib, AAAWLC’s youth center, and facilitates programs including Young Kings and Kings in Transition. He has also led the STAR Fellowship and provides individualized case management and reentry support to system-impacted youth. Through these programs, he creates opportunities for mentorship, leadership development, life skills, personal growth, and meaningful connections.

His impact extends far beyond the programs he leads. Isaiah has positively influenced hundreds of young people, building relationships rooted in trust, compassion, accountability, and consistency. Whether helping a young person navigate reentry, facilitating a group, or simply offering someone a place to turn, Isaiah reminds youth that they are seen, heard, and worthy of investment.

Through his unwavering commitment, Isaiah continues to change lives by ensuring every young person has the support, encouragement, and opportunity to thrive.

The San Joaquin Dental Society (SJDS) is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children throughout San Joaquin County through its annual Give Kids a Smile event. This longstanding initiative brings together volunteer dentists, dental professionals, and community partners to provide free, essential dental care to children and youth experiencing poverty, homelessness, or barriers to healthcare. Over the past two years, SJDS members and the Foundation have donated more than $100,000 in dental services to over 100 uninsured and underinsured children.

Through the event, children receive dental screenings, X-rays, cleanings, fillings, fluoride treatments, emergency care, and dental care kits. SJDS also goes beyond clinical services to create a welcoming and positive experience for every child, offering face painting, educational activities, visits from the Stockton Kings mascot, Dunkson, and even an emotional support dog to comfort children who may feel anxious about visiting the dentist. Children of all abilities are welcomed and supported.

By partnering with local organizations, SJDS brings healthcare directly into the community, helping families access services they might otherwise struggle to obtain. Its dedication, generosity, and commitment to preventative care are helping remove barriers, build healthier habits, and create brighter, healthier futures for children across San Joaquin County.