News & Notes: Spring 2019

No doubt about it, our children and staff have been very busy over the last few months! Here is a quick "spring" news and notes to show you what we've been up to!

STEM education is critical for the 21st century, and recently our children completed several different units. One focused on the importance of utilizing sunscreen by studying the impact of ultraviolet light (UV rays). The children studied what happens to your skin with and without sunscreen. What an important lesson heading into summer! Our CAC chess team continues to travel and compete with other schools and after school programs, most recently traveling to the Chess for Success tournament in Belleville, IL. By our score they walked away with a record of 17-4-11, but either way we are so proud of their dedication to sharpening the mind and learning an important game.

Any amount of time spent with our children is time well spent! After all, they spell love "T-I-M-E." We are so grateful for the staff, volunteers, and child sponsors who pour countless hours in the wellbeing and enrichment of the children in our care. This spring we participated in Read Across America Day with multiple volunteers sharing stories from Dr. Seuss. Multiple child sponsors have taken children on trips and several of our children had the opportunity to attend sporting events. We also studied the Easter story to understand the immense love of Jesus and the saccrifice he made on the cross for us.

Recently Meagan Isselhard CFP® was recognized by the Northwestern Mutual Foundation as the recipient of a $15,000 grant, with CAC being designated as the nonprofit recipient. Meagan and the entire Northwestern Mutual Fairview Heights team have been longstanding partners of CAC, and we are grateful for all they continue to do in the lives of our children. And, the Northwestern Mutual team are the headline sponsors of our annual "Golf for a Brighter Future" tournament taking place this year on Friday, June 19th!

Health and wellness is a central pillar to our programming, and this spring we have experienced plenty of opportunities to show our children what it means to live a healthy lifestyle! It started with the "Rethink Your Drink" campaign where our children learned to check the nutrition labels on the drinks that they consume. We helped them to understand the importance of staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water and cutting out the sugars of other drinks. Our volunteers and child sponsors are active on our grounds year round, and we are thankful for their support in raising our gardens year after year. Rest assured the boxes are planted, the sun is shining, and we are ready to go for another successful growing season! Additionally, Coach Matt has been keeping our soccer team active and even took them to play O'Fallon Family Sports Park in Salem, IL to play another travel group! Speaking of gardening and beautification, the CAC is in need of skilled labor to assist in various ways around the property. In addition to volunteer teams to help mow our property, we are also in need of individuals who are capable of working with small engine repair, carpentry, construction and drywall, painting, masonry, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, siding and gutters, welding, and flat roofing. If you are available, please contact Leslie Smith at leslie.smith@cacesl.org .

Ignited for Christ Arts Ministry exists to enlighten youth about their creator and challenge them to use their talents to serve in their communities and abroad. 2018 challenged the kids to work as a team, be creative, focus, overcome fears, move their bodies, understand what worship is, the principle of reaping and sowing (because they can only produce what they have put into their work), and so many other valuable lessons.  This year alone the kids have worked alongside Better Family Life in St. Louis, participated in Operation Clean Sweep, served in the city of Venice during back to school celebrations, assisted with area beautification at CAC, painted several projects with the Katherine Dunham Center, taught dance classes to the kindergarten and first grade students, participated and ministered in youth rallies, made nursing home visits, and served at the local Ronald McDonald House. Recently we hosted an awards dinner to celebrate their commitment to service and dedication to teamwork and community involvement. We're so proud of them! That wraps up all of the excitement at CAC! We're looking forward to seeing you soon reading to a child in your lap or pushing children on the swings in the playground! In the meantime, be sure to connect with us on social media! 

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Christian Activity Center Caring for kids in East St. Louis 540 N. 6th Street | P.O. Box 2525 | East St. Louis, IL 62201 618-874-5615 | www.cacesl.org