DiSYPles Summer Youth Program | Amanda Taylor
Throughout her childhood, Amanda Taylor attended Bethany Community Ministries (BCM) in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Along with her four siblings, Amanda spent her summers attending the summer camp hosted by BCM, DiSYPles Summer Youth Program. Serving a predominately BIPOC community, BCM is founded on the belief that acts of service change lives. Offering a variety of services for the Homewood community, from fresh meals, a safe place for children, grief support, and a place for community connection, BCM is a cornerstone in Homewood.
BCM was founded in response to the message found in 1 Peter 4:8-10 “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
In 2021, Amanda was invited to return to Bethany Community Ministries as the camp manager. By the end of 2021, Amanda had become the Executive Director of the entire faith-based nonprofit. Today, Amanda oversees all of the programming and support BCM provides the residents of Homewood, including the DiSYPles Summer Youth Program. In addition to her role at BCM, Amanda is the mother of two young children.
What is your project?
The DiSYPles Summer Youth Program is an extension of BCM, supporting the families in Homewood by providing a free summer program. DiSYPles is a seven-week summer program that provides BIPOC children living in marginalized communities with a safe and secure environment for the summer. The program serves campers aged 5-12 and can support 40- 50 kids daily.
The camp operates on weekdays for most of the summer vacation, providing families a safe and free option. The camp offers an array of cultural and educational experiences to enrich the youth's lives. Every day, campers can expect a variety of activities, from camp songs, art, dance, gym, and academic enrichment activities. DiSYPles also takes campers on regular field trips to places kids may not experience through school, like a community garden, museums, and parks.
In addition to providing kids with a safe summer haven, BCM provides fresh meals to campers while they are there. These meals play a critical role in ensuring the kids living in Homewood are cared for and supported by the community.
“I really appreciate this program overall because we keep the camp at no cost to the families. It is a support for them and a safe place for kids throughout the summer. I know how important it is to keep the kids engaged while having fun and having no pressure from school. It is important to expose kids to as many things as we can that are beyond what they would experience at home.”
How are you utilizing your Let’s Choose Love Grant?
Because the camp is free, BCM relies heavily on grants, donations, and in-kind donations from the community. Amanda is always looking for ways to provide enriching experiences to the campers while keeping the camp free. Amanda found out about Let’s Choose Love through our friends at Urban Awareness and thought this was an excellent opportunity to provide new activities to campers.
DiSYPles Summer Youth Program utilized their Let’s Choose Love grant to provide campers with African dance and drumming lessons. These dance and drumming lessons will provide campers with an enriching cultural experience that not only gets them moving and playing music but also teaches and connects them to various African cultures.
In addition to the African dance and drumming lessons, Amanda is using the grant funds to provide a new service-based field trip for campers. Amanda plans to take campers to their local soup kitchen to help prepare and package some meals for distribution. “Getting kids involved in social service activities with the soup kitchen allows the kids to give back.”
In the future, Amanda hopes to offer swim lessons to campers, as many campers have never had the opportunity to learn how to swim. Amanda hopes to incorporate overnight opportunities and mentoring programs in the coming summers.
Since the camp's inception in 1999, Amanda has seen a significant transformation of the DiSYPles Summer Youth Program. She is committed to seeing the program succeed year after year and continues to offer a safe and healthy place for the youth of Homewood.
To learn more about Bethany Community Ministries and the programs they offer, check out their website.
