Hopping around Hammitt Elementary

The Easter Bunny sent some helpers to Hammitt Elementary School earlier this month, and the students had an Easter egg hunt!

Volunteers from the Bloomington Pub Club Rotary wore bunny ears as they hid eggs between the playgrounds at Hammitt Elementary. They also passed out bunny baskets for each student to use as they collected eggs.

The kids had a blast hunting for the eggs, and they loved the treats and sensory items inside.

Teachers and aides even used the fun event as a creative opportunity for learning. Each student had a sheet of paper with pictures of six eggs. They practiced their colors and numbers as they found eggs matching those on their papers.

The egg hunt took place on a bright, sunny spring day that was made even brighter by the students’ smiles, laughter, and excited shouts of “Thank you!”

Several organizations, churches, and individuals donated eggs and Easter baskets. Thank you for making Easter special for our kids!

Volunteers from the Bloomington Pub Club Rotary helped hide eggs.

Community members donated baskets on behalf of their church.

At Hammitt Junior-Senior High School we provide a well-rounded educational experience for our students, striving to help each young adult grow in their strengths. We also help them look toward their future. 

Vocational education is one important way we prepare Hammitt students for their lives after graduation. By working at local organizations, students practice new skills through hands-on training and learning. The jobs they learn and do help them improve their confidence, alleviate anxieties, and provide opportunities to practice social skills.

The vocational education program at Hammitt Junior-Senior High School was suspended during the pandemic as schools began remote learning and community partners were forced to shut their doors. Over the last year, however, the dedicated staff members at the school have worked diligently to re-establish and create connections with community partners, and the vocational education program is once again thriving and robust.

Currently, 25 Hammitt students take part in the program. They work once or twice a week at the Bloomington Public Library, McLean County Museum of History, East Bay Camp, Children’s Discovery Museum, Reiger Eyecare Center, and Network Bible Fellowship. 

Through these jobs, our students are learning how to do a variety of basic office and cleaning tasks. They’re copying, shredding, and assembling packets. They’re restocking movies, sweeping, and dusting.

Students also complete various cleaning and office tasks within the school. Additionally, the Hammitt Hurricane Coffee Café gives them the opportunity to serve coffee to other students and staff twice a week.

The vocational education staff align each student’s post-secondary living plans with their job, preparing them for life after graduation. These impactful experiences truly help students grow to be their best selves while also providing them with a feeling of accomplishment for a job well done.

The large blue bows and pinwheels adorning several of our locations this month are not simply décor for our campuses. We’re decked out in blue to commemorate Autism Acceptance Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month, two things at the very heart of our work at The Baby Fold. You’ll even see our staff wearing blue this month, too!

Autism services at Hammitt Schools provides a very specialized form of education to some pretty special kids, helping them to learn, grow, and blossom into their best selves.

Child abuse prevention is also key to our Foster Care and Intact Family Services programs, as well as our early intervention initiative Healthy Start. Our team members in these areas all provide education, resources, and support to families so that kids can have safe, healthy, and stable environments.

Join us in wearing or decorating with blue this month to support our kids and families and to commemorate Autism Acceptance Month and Child Abuse Prevention Month! Post your photos on social media to spread awareness and tag us, too. We’d love to see your support!

Foster Care staff

Healthy Start staff

WCIC to host Central Illinois Baby Shower

Early next month, WCIC 91.5 FM will be hosting a baby shower for Central Illinois, and The Baby Fold is honored to be one of the shower’s recipients. WCIC listeners will be encouraged to drop off diapers, wipes, baby lotion, baby shampoo, etc. at our offices at 108 E. Willow, Normal. 

We’re so thankful for this support from our Christian community, and we cannot wait to bless our new parents and babies with your much-needed donations! 

Easter might be over, but we’re still collecting Baskets of Blessings for our kids and families! Each basket is filled with hand-selected items to support our children, ranging from curriculums for special education classrooms to sensory items to help children on the Autism spectrum self-regulate. Whether the items are for newborns or teens, each basket provides kids and families with the resources they need to heal, grow, and learn.

Want to give a child of The Baby Fold hope for a brighter future without leaving your home? Let us shop for you! Simply provide the funding needed to fulfill a child's Basket of Blessings then sit back, relax, and we'll take care of the rest. You support local kids and local businesses at the same time!

Visit our website to learn about how you can bless our kids and families this spring!

A special thank you to our business sponsors

Thank you to our 2022 Festival of Trees Champion and Guardian level sponsors!

We appreciate the support of businesses such as Sylvester Family Dental, Radio Bloomington, CEFCU, and Avanti’s Family Restaurant who invest in the lives of our children and families.