By Cassandra Sales, ILS Program Manager
I’m a big fan of math and numbers because in a world that gets caught up in chaos and the whirlwind, numbers are consistent, and they don’t lie. They aren’t overly positive or negative—they just are. One number that has always stood out to me is 2080. No, not the year—but the number of hours you work if you’re full-time for a year.
As a Life Guide, Life Coach, or CFS Specialist, that means you’ll spend roughly 2,000 of those hours directly with clients. What a blessing that is. In those hours you have tough conversations, witness grief and growth, celebrate victories, and stand beside people through their hardest moments.
The Generosity That Holds Us Together
The generosity our field staff give every day is unmatched. They work on Christmas so clients aren’t alone. They fill in shifts because ensuring someone’s care always comes first. And they give of their most precious asset—their time.
There aren’t enough words to describe the gratitude we have for our field staff. This year has carried great loss—clients and even coworkers we’ve had to say goodbye to. Yet through it all, our Life Guides, Life Coaches, and CFS Specialists have continued to give, to serve, and to love.
A Story of Selfless Care
One of the clients we lost this year was Michael in Siskiyou. Michael wasn’t the loudest or most joyful person in the room, but he was a key part of the Compass story—one of the very first clients in our Siskiyou region. His care pushed us to ask: What more is possible? How can we think outside the box?
In his final days, Sarah—a selfless, patient LG3—sat by his side. She made sure he was safe, comfortable, and loved until his final moments. That isn’t in the job description. We don’t hire people to hold a client’s hand as they go to be with Jesus. Yet every single one of our field staff has moments like that—moments where they step up, give their hearts, and make sure no one faces life alone.
Here’s to the Givers
Here’s to the staff who help clients chase their dreams, no matter the obstacles.
Here’s to the ones who know their client’s favorite thing is anime—and spend their Saturday at Comic-Con just to make their day.
Our organization is led by incredible humans, but it’s held up by selfless, generous people whose greatest desire is simply to make life better for someone else.
You don’t need money to be a giver. You don’t need “stuff” to make an impact. You just need heart—and that’s what Compass people have in abundance. It’s what makes dreams come true and loneliness disappear.
The Real Superheroes
November is Caregiver Appreciation Month, but appreciation isn’t just for one month—it’s in every text that says, “Leah got the keys to her apartment,” after staff moved heaven and earth to make it happen.
The beautiful thing about life is that everyone has something to give. Find your unique gift and share it—the world needs more of what only you can offer. Not all superheroes wear capes, but about 800 of them wear Compass shirts. And I’ll take that over Captain America any day.
💙 Thank you to the givers.