Wow, a lot has happened in five years! The last time we wrote a financial update for The Branch, we hadn’t heard of Covid-19 and we weren’t afraid of rainstorms. We were also unaware of the full extent of God’s providence over this beloved camp.
Pilgrim Pines has experienced two major challenges that have had substantial impact on its finances. The first challenge was Covid-19 that shut down operations in 2020 and impacted attendance for the next three years. Despite the loss of registration revenue, the camp was able to maintain the year-round staff and safely re-open with the help of federal funding and the generosity of donors. The second challenge was the rainstorm on July 9, 2023, that shut down operations for a few weeks and caused significant damage to camp’s facilities and grounds. The lost revenue and cost of repairs and restoration were covered partly by insurance, but mostly by the generosity of donors. Camp is now on the other side of these challenges with stronger finances than ever. This is a result of both the staff’s hard work and, you guessed it, the generosity of donors.
This past year has not only been a time of recovery from the storm but it’s also been a year of growth. The camp has a new Lakeside Pavilion, considerable Camping Area upgrades, and most recently, the reconnection of the Skytop property.
This growth has been fully funded by the generosity of donors who gave to these three specific projects. If you had asked us five years ago if camp could make it through two major financial crises while improving the facilities and expanding the property, the response would have been met with doubt and skepticism. We were clearly unaware of the full extent of God’s providence!
October was the start of the new fiscal year. While we all hope to steer clear of another major financial crisis, the upcoming year will require hard work to achieve the operating budget. Operating revenue needs to keep pace with the ever-increasing costs of food, utilities, materials and supplies, and fair wages. Since the 2025 rate increase of 5% will not fully cover these expenses, the budget relies on undesignated giving and calls for increased occupancy, especially at Camp Squanto and in the Camping Area. Last year, the focus was on restoration of the facilities. This year, the focus will be to grow the ministry. And if the past five years have taught us anything, then we can trust that God will continue to provide.