Helping out at the Central Illinois Foodbank

Our Compass for Kids staff spent a beautiful, sunny day on December 16, 2025, volunteering at the Central Illinois Foodbank’s holiday distribution, and we were so happy to help serve our community. It was a wonderful reminder of what can happen when organizations and people come together to support neighbors in need.

A huge thank you to the Central Illinois Foodbank for all you do year-round to care for our community. We’re grateful to stand alongside you this holiday season.

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Brandt Employees Boost Food Donations!

The Brandt community zoomed in to help give a boost to our Compass families! We are grateful to the employees at BRANDT for their support in bolstering our Backpack Feeding Program. Such holiday spirit!

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Fundraising in the Community

Thank you to everyone at Jenifer Sellers – State Farm Insurance Agency, Inc for including us in their fundraising project! We appreciate your support!

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Volunteer Accolades

Congratulations to Randy & Sue Burge as the Springfield branch of Peoples Bank & Trust Volunteers of the Quarter! Randy & Sue are dedicated volunteers at our Dubois Elementary Club Compass site that is hosted at their church, Douglas Avenue United Methodist Church. Thanks for all you do!

Asian Indian Women’s Organization’s India Night Success

India Night 2025 was a huge success – a lively celebration filled with stunning Indian dances, beautiful fashion, and so much heart.

A special shout-out to our amazing Compass kids who performed a Bhangra dance! You were absolutely incredible, and we couldn’t be prouder!

Our heartfelt thanks to Asian Indian Women’s Organization for their generosity, dedication, and partnership, and to everyone who made the night so special, including Paul Rocki Nawrocki and Stacey Skrysak, our wonderful emcees, Frank Lesko, our spirited auctioneer, Zach Adams – 1221 Photography, Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant, DJ Sai Raj, and University of Spa and Cosmetology Arts!

Thank you to all who generously donated to the event, whether it was a sponsorship, an auction bid, or a donation. We appreciate you!

For a full gallery of photos and more, visit: https://www.compassforkids.org/2025-aiwo-india-night/

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India Night Pop-up Fashion Fundraiser

The India Night Wardrobe Edit: A Peaches Pop-Up Special drew people to purchase pre-loved Indian outfits, including lehengas, sarees, kurtas, and accessories, in preparation for the Asian Indian Women’s Organization’s 2025 India Night Gala. The fundraiser was a success and jump-started the colorful celebration!

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High-five Friday

High-five Fridays are the best way to start the weekend! We enjoyed welcoming Ball-Charter students as they arrived at school! A bonus for us, it was picture day so all the kids were able to practice those smiles!

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Give a Hoot

Shout out to Smart Owl Coffee for supporting Compass for Kids through their Give a Hoot Program! The Essentials Blend was a favorite here at Compass Central! We enjoyed partnering with Smart Owl all year and look forward to many more collaborations!

Make an Impact

 We are so grateful to the Make an Impact group! 
Their amazing $45,000 gift from the Impact on the Green charity golf outing will make a lasting difference for kids in our community. 
Their generosity will help Compass for Kids continue providing programs that help students build confidence, develop life skills, and dream big for their futures.
Thank you, Make an Impact, for believing in our mission and making a significant investment in Springfield’s youth! And thank you for visiting Club Compass for this exciting check presentation!

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Teaming up with AIWO and The Morning Routine

We had so much fun with Richa and Ketki from the Asian Indian Women’s Organization (AIWO) on The Morning Routine with Rocki and Lacey (WNNS / Woodward Media), chatting all things India Night! The Asian Indian Women’s Organization and Peaches Pop-Up hosted a beautiful Indian fashion wardrobe edit for an unforgettable event!

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Golfers Teeing it Up for Compass for Kids

Thank you to bankwithBOS, Giganti and Giganti Fine Jewelry, and Staff Carpet for being such amazing community supporters! We appreciate all you do to make Springfield a better place. We were honored to be a beneficiary of the 40th non-annual Caddyshack Open Golf Outing!

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We truly appreciate the support of St. John’s Lutheran Church! Thank you for Teeing It Up Fore The Kids! This incredibly generous gift will help our programs – Club Compass, YLDP, and Camp Compass – continue to be effective and of high quality.

Getting Ready for School

We joined Springfield Clinic and Molina Healthcare to offer physicals for students entering Kindergarten, 6th, and 9th grades. Families had a great time at the District Back to School Bash, explored the Kid Fun Zone, and connected with community resources at Union Baptist Church, among other community events.

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Community Support

We are thrilled to welcome Illinois Educators Credit Union as a proud sponsor of Compass for Kids! Your generosity helps us provide academic and social-emotional support to students in our community, empowering them to dream big and achieve their goals.

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SCHEELS Backpack delivery – We partnered with Compass for Kids to help students in our Springfield community start the school year strong. We’re grateful for the chance to give back – and we hope the kids love their new backpacks! ❤️🎒https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17NCbZpyfK/

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We are so grateful to the Elks Lodge 158 for donating $5,000 from the proceeds of their annual Golf Outing to Compass for Kids!

This generous gift will help us provide school-year and summer programming for kids in our community – empowering them to succeed in school and in life. Thank you for making a difference for Springfield’s children!

Stakeholder Breakfast 2025

☕✨ We gathered with supporters, partners, and friends to reflect on the impact of Compass for Kids and share our vision for the future at the 2025 Stakeholder Breakfast. From heartfelt stories to big goals, it was a morning full of inspiration and connection.

See highlights, photos, and what’s next for Compass! Read more ➡️
compassforkids.org/stakeholder-breakfast-2025

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Celebrating Nine Years as a Not-for-profit Organization

Compass for Kids proudly celebrated nine incredible years as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization! What began as Founder & Chief Executive Officer Molly Berendt Grogan’s bold vision to support kids in Springfield has grown into a powerful and united community of changemakers: staff, volunteers, partners, educators, and counselors, all working together to create brighter futures.

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Community Support

In June, Compass for Kids was overwhelmed by the generous support of our community! From the Rotary Clubs and Elks Charity Golf events to the always-fun Caddyshack Open and the Fat Ass 5K, every effort helped fuel our mission. A special shoutout to all who participated in the ImpactLife Blood Drive, your impact goes far beyond one day. 💛 Thank you for showing up, giving back, and helping us support local kids in a big way!

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Smart Owl Coffee Community Partnership

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Day of Service

THANK YOU to Keller Williams Capital for spending Red Day 2025 with Compass for Kids!

Your team went above and beyond, organizing Camp Compass supplies, cleaning the yard, scraping porch paint, building a shed, stocking our care cabinets, and helping with a fun cookie craft project. We are so grateful for your time, energy, and heart. Your hard work helped free up valuable time for our staff! 

Good as Gold Awards

Compass for Kids is honored to be recognized by the University of Illinois Springfield‘s Good as Gold Awards!

• Organization of the Year – Compass for Kids
• Youth Volunteer – Our amazing YLDP youth, Alex!
• Distinguished Volunteers – Huge congratulations to Merle Shiffman for her dedication to Club Compass!
• Heart of Gold Volunteers – The wonderful Jim Endris and Mary Lou Spengel, whose compassion and service continue to inspire us all.

To our volunteers, youth, and supporters – YOU make this possible. We share this celebration with each of you. Thank you for being the heart of Compass.

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Council of the Lakes Chili Challenge Results

We’re incredibly grateful to the Council of the Lakes for selecting Compass for Kids as the 2025 Chili Challenge nonprofit recipient! We had a blast with the challenges along the way and are honored to receive a generous check for $5,259.42. Thank you to everyone who helped, participated, and supported these events!

Pictured Left to Right: Ward 1 Alderman Jeff Cox, Compass for Kids Board Member Ray Zinnen, Chili Challenge Chairman Stacy Goldesberry, Elks Lodge #158, Elks Lodge #158 Exalted Ruler Matt Willis, Compass For Kids Chief Operating Officer Sarah Oglesby and Senior Donor Relations Manager Brandy Stabler, and Council of Lake Springfield Clubs President Adam Pallai. 

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Advocating for Our Kids

Molly and Sarah spent the day at the Illinois State Capitol with ACT Now and over 200 advocates calling on Illinois leaders to release critical funding for after-school programs.

Here’s a link to read more: https://www.chalkbeat.org/…/illinois-afterschool…/

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Sharing the Mission

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Community Support

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Compass in the Community

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UIS Basketball and Compass for Kids Partnership

We had so much fun at the UIS basketball games in January! We hung out with our friends from Bank of Springfield, and our Club kids made the welcome tunnel and played games on the court during breaks. We are especially proud of our YLDP, multi-talented youth, Marcus, for singing the National Anthem! Way to go, Marcus! Thank you to UIS Athletics for including us as your first community partner of the season!

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Club Kids visit WICS Studio

The Graham Elementary Club Compass kids were treated to a field trip to Channel 20 WICS television studio in early February to get a behind-the-scenes look at broadcasting. The green screen was a huge hit—maybe we have some future broadcasters in the making!