Today in the Mission Yearbook - PC(USA)-affiliated camp and retreat center receives grant to launch day camp in Indiana

Pyoca is one of 187 organizations selected by a Lilly Endowment Inc. initiative

January 6, 2024

Counselors help youth climb the rock wall

at Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center. (Photo

courtesy of Pyoca Camp and Retreat

Center)

Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center, located in the Presbytery of Ohio Valley, recently announced that it had received a $451,505 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to launch an innovative day camp program for local youth. The program is funded through the Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana initiative, which is aimed at improving the academic, physical and social well-being of young people ages 5 through 18.

According to a press release, Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center in Brownstown, Indiana, will “expand the impact and reach to more youth in the region through the use of the grant funds.” The day camp will “serve as a safe, engaging and enriching environment for local youth,” offering opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, canoeing and exploration of the Pyoca grounds and the Jackson-Washington State Forest as well as exercises in team-building, environmental education, crafts and personal development.

Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center will launch a 

new day camp with grant funds. (Photo courtesy 

of Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center)

“We are immensely grateful to the Lilly Endowment Inc. for their generous support of our vision to create a day camp program that will serve local youth,” said Mike Davis, executive director at Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center. “We are always seeking ways to serve our local community, and this grant will enable us to do so in a meaningful way, working with community partners to provide a positive and transformative experience tailored to our local youth.” Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center already has a vibrant overnight camp in the summer. “We are very excited,” said the Rev. Molly DeWitt, program director at Pyoca, “to have just been given a sizable grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. to start a brand-new day camp program.”

Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center, a member of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association (PCCCA) and the Campfire Collective, is one of 187 organizations receiving grants through the Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana initiative.

Beth Waltemath, Communications Strategist, Presbyterian Mission Agency

Today’s Focus: Pyoca Camp and Retreat Center receives grant to launch day camp in Indiana for local youth

Let us join in prayer for:

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Judy Walton, Director of Lending Services, Presbyterian Investment & Loan Program
Laura Wampler, Operations & Accounting Associate, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation

Let us pray

Dear Lord, thank you for the energy and enthusiasm of our youth. Lead them by your Spirit, that they will be faithful ambassadors for your grace and truth. Amen.