John Muir Middle School and Health Net Celebrate National No One Eats Alone Day

Students, professional athletes and a corporate leader came together at John Muir Middle School in Los Angeles today to celebrate a positive prevention initiative designed to promote inclusion.

Representatives from Health Net, LLC (Health Net) hosted an assembly in honor of National No One Eats Alone® Day, created by the non-profit Beyond Differences™. Students participated in activities designed to teach them about social isolation and the negative impact it can have on a student’s health and academic performance.

The students also heard from Chargers Nick Dzubnar and Isaac Rochell who addressed the issue and challenged the students to make a difference at their school. Together, the students then demonstrated inclusion and sat with classmates at lunch who they didn’t know, or who may feel left out. To help, they were given ice breaker topics to discuss to highlight their commonalities.

“For nearly four decades, Health Net has been dedicated across California, in transforming the health of our communities, one person at a time,” said Carol Kim, vice president of community investments and government and public affairs for Health Net. “With local and national partners, we’re raising awareness of social isolation as it is often a root cause of bullying. Teaching children to look for these signs is critical to breaking the cycle of violence.”

Social isolation affects millions of students and has been identified as a precursor to bullying, self-harm and community violence. Students have shown that if they are given the tools, they will stand up for others as empathetic and caring activists, not passive bystanders.

“Social isolation is a preventable public health problem,” said Laura Talmus, co-founder and executive director of Beyond Differences. “We’ve learned through teachers and families that No One Eats Alone Day is a powerful step and positive initiative that can change the culture in schools to be a more welcoming place for all.”

The Los Angeles Chargers are partnering with Health Net for National No One Eats Alone Day to raise awareness of social isolation. Health Net also partners with the Chargers for the Chargers’ Play60 camps, which are free youth football camps in the Los Angeles community.

John Muir Middle School was one of more than 2,250 schools across the country that celebrated National No One Eats Alone Day. The initiative reached more than one million students in all 50 states.

This is the third consecutive year that Health Net has partnered with Beyond Differences™ and California schools for No One Eats Alone Day, which is sponsored by the Centene Charitable Foundation.

About Health Net

At Health Net, we believe every person deserves a safety net for their health, regardless of age, income, employment status or current state of health. Founded 40 years ago, we remain dedicated to transforming the health of our community, one person at a time. Today, more than 3,000 Health Net employees, and approximately 85,000 network providers, serve more than three million Californians. That’s about one in 13 residents throughout the state. We provide health plans for individuals, families, employers, people with Medicare and people with Medi-Cal — coverage for every stage of life. We also offer access to behavioral health services, substance abuse prevention programs, managed healthcare services for prescription drugs and employee assistance programs. We offer these health plans and services through Health Net, LLC and its subsidiaries: Health Net of California, Inc., Health Net Life Insurance Company and Health Net Community Solutions, Inc. These entities are wholly owned subsidiaries of Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC). For more information, visit HealthNet.com.

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Media Contact:
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