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Christmastime at Cunningham is one of the busiest times of year and we wouldn’t have it any other way! Luckily, the Advancement team had its own "elf" to help with the hustle and bustle of the season.

Sixteen-year-old Myles* was clearly in a bad mood when he arrived for Drum Circle in the music room at the Noel Education Center. Myles had been going through a major depression and hadn’t been engaging in much, but Drum Circle was a weekly therapy he enjoyed.

Doug* came to Cunningham after experiencing a difficult and inconsistent family life. His father was incarcerated, and his mother struggled with addiction, so he wasn't used to many rules and regulations.

In art class, our students created designs using repoussé, a metalworking technique in which a tin sheet of metal (our kids used tin foil) is shaped and hammered from the reverse side to create a design. The assignment was to incorporate symbols that had personal meaning to them and would help tell their story.

“This medal is HEAVY!” Jarrel* said to Paralympian Nichole Millage before adding, “I never would have thought the medals would all be so different.”

"I’m ugly. I HATE school!"

Just like squares on a quilt, isn’t it just amazing how things can come together so beautifully? When Ms.

The news was bittersweet for Phyllis.* She was surprised, thrilled and excited that her daughter, Penny*, who six years earlier was struggling with educational success, had earned enough credits to graduate high school. But at the same time, this meant Penny would no longer be enrolled at CIRCLE Academy in Urbana.

"You could immediately see the tears of joy streaming down Peter’s face," Kandis said. "He never gave up hope. Even when we didn’t think it was possible he would be able to return home, he never doubted. At Cunningham Children’s Home, sometimes the impossible can be possible."