Interested to know what the Banyan has been up to this year?? Take a look at what we have accomplished and help us pray for where we are going!
2017 Overview
February
Our campers served lunch to senior adults at Skycrest Community Church. This involved a 2-day menu-prep, shopping and kitchen prep and hospitality skills!
March
Camp Banyan had a reunion for our 3-Day Spring Break Camp!
May
May 2nd was Give Day Tampa Bay. We were able to raise $1,778.00!
Our Champion givers allowed us to fully or partially scholarship 5 campers in 2017. Thank you!
June – July
We held Camp Banyan at First Christian Church, Clearwater in the summer of 2017. We have had the privilege to serve nearly 30 individuals in our two years of summer camp and our other special projects.
Each week during Camp Banyan 2017 had a capacity of 18 Campers.
We would like to increase that number in 2018!
August – November
Jane attended several of Mission Increase Foundation’s free training sessions for faith-based non-profit organizations.
September
Camp Banyan held another mini-reunion with our Labor Day Art Fest. This one-day session was meant to create beautiful ink/alcohol art pieces under the supervision of artist Heidi Stavinga to sell at our First Annual Banyan Odyssey FUNraiser!
October
Our First Annual Banyan Odyssey FUNraiser was held at Creek Under the Son/Inspire Equine Therapy Center in Clearwater. We were able to raise just over $13,000! Thank you!
November
We were chosen to participate in the 2017 Florida Caregiver Conference Pitch Competition with Caregiver Accelerator in Tampa. Jane presented a 6-minute pitch in front of a panel of judges. Thanks to you, we were the winners of the People’s Choice Award and received an Office Depot gift card, an upgrade to our website and free business tutoring!
December
Our friends at Leadership Pinellas offered us a Holiday Party, for which they collected over $1,100 in gift cards. Each of our 24 Campers received two or more gift cards, delivered by Santa himself!
In December, Bill and Jane met with Dev Pathil, a Clearwater businessman who gave practical steps to formulating a Business Development Plan for investors. Jane will concentrate on this for the first quarter of 2018.
Here’s how you can pray with us!
- To attract key Advisory Team members to help complete the Business Development phases.
- Reach Tampa Bay families within our demographic (high-functioning young adults between the ages of 16 to 29 with special needs) to participate in training and special event opportunities.
- Wisdom in recruiting leadership/teachers/guests for educational program.
- Put in place a database of interested Champions and participants and communicate The Banyan Odyssey updates on a monthly basis.
- Thank the Lord who planted this vision for the success of the program thus far, for using His network to connect us with the right people (at just the right times) and for blessing The Banyan Odyssey with the finances to make 2018 a great year!
- And lastly, we thank the Lord for Melissa Caylor and Wayne Wardell. We are grateful to Steven Clagg for serving for the first two years, and ask that our Champions pray for the Board Member who will replace Steven.