BELLVILLE — Amid a time of political instability, Raising Hope Ministries has continued to provide love, support and high quality education to young women in Haiti.
That’s why the family and friends of Jeff Ellington are proud to announce the local nonprofit as the beneficiary of the 3rd annual Jeff Ellington Pay Forward golf outing.
This year’s outing will take place July 19 at Deer Ridge Golf Club. All proceeds will benefit Raising Hope Ministries.
Raising Hope Ministries was founded by Tim and Toby Banks, a local couple who served as missionaries in Haiti from 2005 to 2013. Tim is a 1984 graduate of Malabar High School; Toby is a 1985 graduate of Lexington High School.
During their time in Haiti, the Banks ran an orphanage that served 20 Haitian girls and raised them as their own daughters. The Banks raised them to know the love of Christ and study hard, but also to remain connected to their culture.
“We didn’t want to turn them into twenty little American girls who lived in Haiti,” Toby said. “Their culture is very important to them.
After changes in the country’s political climate forced the Banks to move back to the U.S., they founded Raising Hope Ministries as a way to continue providing for their Haitian daughters’ physical, spiritual and emotional needs.
“They’ve been through a lot of loss and turmoil, so we’re helping them through that too. It’s really hard to provide stability in Haiti, but I think we’ve got a good system going,” Toby said. “They’re comfortable, they feel safe. They’re all working hard in school.”
Raising Hope Ministries continues to provide for the 20 girls, whose ages range between 16 and 24. The Banks still regularly visit Haiti and work in partnership with Haitian and American supporters in the small island nation.
In addition to providing for physical needs like food, water and electricity, money raised through the golf outing will support the girls’ college education. Some of the girls are still in high school, others have begun to study fields like engineering, creative writing, early childhood education and interior design at the college level.
“We had always instilled in them the desire to pursue higher education, make a difference and impact their community and show the love of Christ through what they wanted to do as adults,” Toby said.
In addition to supporting a great cause on a beautiful course, players will have the chance to win various prizes including first, second and third place trophies, longest drive and longest putt.
Jeff, a Mansfield native and father of three, was known for bringing people together and giving generously to those in need.
After his death from kidney cancer in 2020, Jeff’s friends founded the golf outing in his memory.
“Jeff was so giving, so this helped create a way to continue that legacy,” said Jay Byrd, one of the event organizers.
The Jeff Ellington Pay Forward Golf Outing is still accepting registrations, sponsorships and donations for auction items. To register, sponsor or donate, visit ellingtongolf.com. Registration closes July 15.