Stakeholder Breakfast 2025
A Morning of Impact: Stakeholder Breakfast Celebrates Camp Compass and Community Support
On Tuesday, July 8, Compass for Kids welcomed a vibrant gathering of supporters, educators, and community leaders to our annual Stakeholder Breakfast, held at Matheny-Withrow Elementary School, one of our Camp Compass sites.
Guests were greeted with a delicious brunch buffet catered by Minnie Jean’s Taste of Soul Catering, piping hot Essentials Blend coffee from Smart Owl Coffee, and cheerful baby’s breath centerpieces thoughtfully arranged with help from Flowers by Mary Lou. The warm and inviting atmosphere set the tone for a morning full of purpose, connection, and celebration.
The Stakeholder Breakfast brought together individuals and organizations who are deeply invested in the success of Camp Compass, a summer program dedicated to bridging the opportunity gap for Springfield’s youth.
We were honored to be joined by Illinois State Senator Doris Turner, who spoke about the importance of programs like Camp Compass in providing critical academic and social-emotional support during the summer months.
A special highlight of the morning was a moving video from a Camp Compass camper, Ricco, and his mom, Anna, who shared how Camp Compass helped improve Ricco’s reading skills and boosted his confidence along the way.
In addition to celebrating impact, the event also addressed the financial realities of running Camp Compass. Compass for Kids Founder and Chief Executive Officer Molly Berendt Grogan spoke candidly about the need for sustainable funding to ensure the long-term future of the program. The vision: to maintain two fully supported sites serving 350 kids each summer at an estimated cost of $1 million per year.
With recent uncertainty around Federal funding streams, Compass for Kids is turning more heavily to private investment and community partners to help secure the future of Camp Compass.
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After the brief program, guests received boarding passes and were grouped into “flights” to embark on guided tours of camp in action, in keeping with this year’s theme: “Passport to Adventure.” During their tour, guests had the opportunity to:
✈️ Read alongside students
📊 Play interactive math games
🎤Cheer on campers while they practice their literacy skills through song!
👩🏫 Hear directly from Springfield Public Schools – District 186 certified teachers, counselors, and kids about the academic enrichment and social-emotional learning that make Camp Compass so unique
We were thrilled to welcome a fantastic list of attendees, including Mayor Misty Buscher, State Representative Mike Coffey, Springfield Public Schools – District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill, United Way of Central Illinois President Marne Fauser, Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mike Murphy, and many more dedicated champions of youth and education.
Their presence and support are a reminder that it truly takes a village to create opportunities that help kids thrive, not just in the summer, but all year long.
Thank you to everyone who joined us and continues to walk alongside Compass for Kids in our mission. Together, we are building brighter futures, one child at a time.
