Club Compass Updates – December 2025
As the year winds down, it has been wonderful to look back on all the learning, creativity, and fun happening at Club Compass. Since September, our sites have been buzzing with energy as students engaged in a wide range of enrichment activities designed to spark curiosity, build skills, and foster confidence.
This quarter, we celebrated the fall and winter holidays with parties at each site that included themed games, crafts, and treats. Beyond seasonal celebrations, our enrichment providers offered experiences that educated and inspired. Students had the chance to learn about exotic animals with Autumn Gibson, explore healthy choices with the Family Guidance Center’s Too Good for Drugs program, and deepen awareness of epilepsy advocacy with Ebony Logan. They engaged with Dorie Hall and Jay Wilson in interactive learning, learned from IDNR Officer Courtney Redmond, and connected with therapy dogs through Pawsitive Therapy Dogs. Additional highlights included handwashing activities, a vision board project with artist Pam Hamilton, cool science and technology projects with the STEM Bus, and social-emotional growth through YLDP Compass Buddies. Thanks to enrichment providers like Tricia Becker, Springfield Psychological Center, and Zach Gutenkauf, our students have had countless moments to grow and explore this fall.
Field trips also gave students learning experiences, with visits to the Old State Capitol Building and the Dana Thomas House offering unique opportunities to explore history and culture in meaningful ways. Add a trip out into nature with a fishing workshop with IDNR Conservation Education Rep, Christina Yoc, for more memorable moments! These activities made for a fall packed with learning and growth.
Winter Holiday Gratitude
The holiday season is all about joy, generosity, and community, and this year’s Club Compass holiday parties brought all of that to life in the most heartwarming way!
Thanks to the incredible support of our partners and donors, every child received a backpack from SCHEELS filled with thoughtful gifts. Beautiful handmade quilts were lovingly crafted by Bonnie Moe and the Folded Frenzies Quilters, as well as Gwen Pollock and the Peace by Piece Quilters. Cozy fleece blankets, hats, and scarves were provided by Laurel Stitch N Go, while warm hats, gloves, and socks came from Valerie Klunick and Jerome United Methodist Church, as well as knitted stocking caps from Lottie Kroll. Additional socks were donated by Jan Brewer and Chatham Baptist Church.
A huge THANK YOU to the incredible volunteers who helped us prepare for our Club Compass and YLDP holiday parties!
Our dedicated volunteers, a few amazing UIS students, and the wonderful members of Sigma Gamma Rho spent time sorting, organizing, and wrapping gifts, making sure every child will feel celebrated and cared for this holiday season.
We’re also grateful to the volunteers at Lincoln Library for donating books, and to the Central Illinois Customer Service Association for providing board games that added even more fun to the celebrations.
And, of course, we extend heartfelt appreciation to our wonderful holiday party hosts whose kindness, energy, and festive spirit made each celebration truly unforgettable.
- Graham – Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise
- Harvard Park – CACi employees Kim Cline and Theresa Casey
- Black Hawk – Rotary Club of Springfield South
- Dubois – Mayor Misty Buscher and the City of Springfield
- McClernand – Colleen Redpath Feger and the Office of the Springfield City Treasurer
Your generosity and dedication directly support our mission: to create safe spaces, provide enrichment, and empower kids to dream big. Every gift, every hour, and every act of kindness helps make the holidays brighter and the future stronger for the children in our programs.
From all of us at Compass for Kids, thank you for helping us spread joy, hope, and community this season!
If you’d like to continue supporting Club Compass and help provide enriching experiences, meals, and safe spaces for our students year-round, click here to make a donation. Every gift helps open doors and create lasting impact for the kids we serve.
Fall / Winter 2025 Gallery
