The Citizens Club of Springfield held its October meeting and presented the draft of the Downtown Springfield and Mid-Illinois Medical District Master Plan. The plan is a collaboration among the City of Springfield, Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln, Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance, Downtown Springfield, Inc. and the Mid-Illinois Medical District. Josh Koonce from the urban planning firm Hoseal Lavigne spoke to the crowd about what is in the plan and why a master plan is important.To review the plan visit: https://www.springfield.il.us/Docs/PublicNotice/SpringfieldMasterPlan101824.pdf

Lanette French is a local author who released her book The Blended Family: My Bonus Mom. She spoke to Community Voices about the book, her blended family, and gives advice to others on how to navigate their own situations.

Gemma Long is co-founder of Illinois Local and Charlotte McCurdy is a senior dancer with Springfield Youth Performance Group. They spoke to Community Voices about the Illinois Local Holiday Market, vendors and performers that will be featured, and the significance of Small Business Saturday in our community. The Illinois Local Holiday Market is Saturday November 30th 9am-4pm in the Exposition Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Details can be found here.

Duane Friend is the State Master Naturalist Coordinator and Climate Change Specialist with the University of Illinois Extension. He spoke to Community Voices about soil quality, weather and climate, and disaster preparedness. Duane also gives information about Illinois Extension's Master Naturalists program and the positive impact on the community.

The month of November is Faith and Hope Month. It’s a time for faith organizations to celebrate organ and tissue donations and educate others on the importance of registering as a donor. Shadaye Hunnicutt from Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network spoke to Community Voices about the organization, misconceptions about donating and how faith communities can get involved.Hunnicutt can be reached at shunnicutt@giftofhope.org

Dr. Gabe Cagwin recently took on the role of vice chancellor for advancement at the University of Illinois Springfield. He also serves as senior vice president for the University of Illinois Foundation. Dr. Cagwin spoke to Community Voices about what led him to higher education and his vast experience with fundraising. He also shared what he is looking forward to in Springfield and at UIS.

Ward Lamon is the director of Student Support Services for District 186. He spoke to Community Voices about the District 186 Empower All Abilities Conference on Nov. 16 at Lanphier High School. The conference will offer community resources and breakout sessions discussing topics such as Autism, ADHD and transition services. The conference will also feature keynote speaker Jordan Toma, a social media influencer and author of the book “I’m Just a Kid with an IEP.”To learn more visit: https://www.sps186.org/article/1832161

Wooden It Be Lovely is a non-profit program that provides transitional employment and housing to women healing from lives of poverty, addiction and abuse. They are raffling off The Little House of Hope located at 1729 Dial Court in Springfield. The house was remodeled by women in the program and community volunteers. Proceeds from the raffle will be used to support women survivors as well as purchasing a larger house for their transitional housing program. Wooden It Be Lovely Founder and Executive Director Margaret Ann Jessup and Board Co-Chair Jen DeJong spoke to Community Voices about the process of remodeling the house, the skills the ladies involved learned, and the response from the community. More information and raffle ticket information can be found here.

Dr. Kari Wolf is the chair of psychiatry at SIU School of Medicine and the CEO of the Illinois Behavioral Health Workforce Center. She spoke to Community Voices about how she works to improve our system of health care to go beyond helping one patient at a time. She also shared how she maintains her mental health and her interest in the arts.

The World Affairs Council of Central Illinois is a civic organization dedicated to educating the public about U.S. foreign policy, global economic and environmental issues, and international politics. It has an upcoming program on Nov. 13, titled “Building Global Agricultural and Rural Capacity: Experiences from Brazil and Surrounding Countries," featuring Dr. Colby Silvert. Silvert spoke to Community Voices about his upcoming presentation, how he developed an interest in global agriculture and what he observed during his time in South America and Africa.For information about the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois visit: https://mywacci.org/