Mary Help

What Mary Help does

Mary Help of Christians Center is a Catholic and Salesian non-profit religious organization founded in 1928 and operated by the Salesians of Don Bosco, Province of St. Philip the Apostle, on a 140-acre lakefront campus at 6400 East Chelsea Street in Tampa, Florida. The center functions as a multi-ministry community hub serving the Tampa Bay area through a parish (Mary Help of Christians Parish), a college preparatory high school (Cristo Rey Tampa Salesian High School, co-located on the campus), a retreat center, a seven-week summer camp for children ages 5-14 (Camp Mary Help, priced at $250 per week), an educational farm ministry (Mary Has a Little Farm, an approved Hillsborough County Public Schools vendor that drew 5,000+ visitors in the past year), a Korean Catholic Mission offering Korean-language Mass and faith formation, a relics devotional ministry, and facility/sports rentals to external groups. The center targets youth and families — particularly the poor and at-risk — in line with the Salesian charism of Saint John Bosco, and is supported by the MHC Foundation and an annual Don Bosco Gala that raised $125,000 in 2026 sponsorships for a church beautification project.

The organization operates on a hybrid revenue model combining charitable donations (general fund, preservation fund, planned giving/bequests), transactional revenue (camp registration fees, facility and sports rentals), and community-based fundraising. Its underlying technology stack is limited to a content website (mhctampa.org), an email newsletter platform, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram), and an online camp registration portal — there is no proprietary software, no API surface, no AI/ML capability, and no patents or trademarks disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through on-campus programming and self-serve camp registration, with no third-party intermediaries. The 11-50 employee headcount supports programming, finance, maintenance, facilities coordination, communications, and mission advancement functions under Director Fr. John Serio, SDB, with operational oversight by the Salesian Province.

From an investment-analytic standpoint, the entity is a mature, mission-driven non-profit rather than a growth-stage commercial venture: it has a diversified program portfolio and a durable physical asset base, but no venture funding, no M&A history, no headcount growth signals, and no public revenue disclosure. Strategic optionality exists in facility-rental monetization, farm-education expansion via public-school partnerships, and global Salesian network integration (e.g., Don Bosco Green Alliance), but expansion is constrained by mission alignment rather than capital availability.

Name

Mary Help

Legal name

Mary Help of Christians Center

Website

https://mhctampa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mary Help of Christians Center is a Catholic Salesian non-profit in Tampa, Florida, operating a 140-acre campus that runs a parish, retreat center, summer camp for ages 5-14, educational farm, Korean Catholic mission, and facility rentals serving youth and families in the Tampa Bay area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious and Faith-Based Community Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Faith-based youth programs
• Catholic retreat center
• Summer camp services
• Religious community services
• Farm education ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and General Fund: Charitable donations from individuals and families supporting the center's ministries and mission operations.
2. Preservation Fund: Donations specifically designated for maintenance and upkeep of property, buildings, and equipment.
3. Facility and Sports Rental: Rental revenue from corporate picnics, meetings, retreats, and sports facilities including gymnasium, pool, fields, and lodging.
4. Summer Camp Fees: Camp registration fees for children ages 5-14 attending week-long programs with activities including swimming, faith formation, and farm education.
5. Planned Giving: Deferred gifts including bequests, life insurance, and trusts that support the Salesian legacy for youth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mary Help of Christians Center is a Catholic nonprofit religious center that delivers faith-based youth programs, retreats, a summer day camp, an educational farm ministry, Korean Catholic mission services, and facility/sports rentals on its 140-acre Tampa campus. Revenue is generated through summer camp registration fees, facility and lodging rentals, charitable donations, and an annual fundraising gala. The center is operated by the Salesians of Don Bosco, Province of St. Philip the Apostle, and serves the Tampa Bay community following the Salesian charism of Saint John Bosco.

Product overview

Mary Help of Christians Center operates as a Catholic and Salesian religious community offering a portfolio of spiritual, educational, and recreational programs. The core offerings include Camp Mary Help (a summer day camp for children ages 5-14), the Salesian Retreat Center (faith retreats for various groups on 140 acres), Mary Has a Little Farm (educational farm ministry and event venue), Facility/Sports Rental (venue rentals for meetings and activities), the Korean Catholic Mission of Tampa (Korean language Mass and religious education), the Don Bosco Gala (annual fundraising event), the Relics Ministry (religious devotional displays), and the MHC Newsletter (email communication publication). These programs serve the Tampa Bay community, particularly youth and families, following the Salesian charism of Saint John Bosco.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Camp Mary Help: Summer camp program for children ages 5-14 offering activities including daily Mass, swimming, water sports, faith time, field sports, farm education, archery, and more.
• Mary Has a Little Farm
• Don Bosco Gala
• Relics at Mary Help

Products and services

• Camp Mary Help Seven-week summer day camp for children ages 5 to 14 offering daily Mass, swimming, water sports, faith time, field sports, farm education, archery, and more, priced at $250 per week with multiple camper/week discounts.
• Salesian Retreat Center Multi-day faith retreat programs for adult, youth, First Communion, Confirmation, Graduation, and leadership groups, hosted on 140 acres with meeting spaces, church, chapel, sleeping areas, and outdoor facilities.
• Mary Has a Little Farm Educational farm ministry providing hands-on nature experiences with horses, goats, and bunny rabbits through school field trips (approved vendor for Hillsborough County Public Schools), camp programs, and event venue rentals.
• Facility/Sports Rental Rental of meeting and worship spaces (cafeteria, conference room, church, chapel), recreational amenities (baseball/soccer/football fields, tennis courts, gymnasium, pool, canoes, kayaks), and lodging (John Paul II Dormitory) on a 140-acre campus.
• Korean Catholic Mission of Tampa Korean-language Mass services and religious education programs for the Korean Catholic community, including Sunday and weekday Mass schedules in Korean and language classes for younger Korean Catholics.
• Relics Ministry Ministry dedicated to displaying and venerating religious relics at the center, with a dedicated website and physical displays for community veneration.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Don Bosco Green AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2022Mary Help of Christians Center is a proud member of the Don Bosco Green Alliance initiative. Through this membership, the center plans to make Mary Help a greener and better place for young people, aligning with the global Salesian environmental sustainability effort.
• Salesians of Don Bosco, Province of St. Philip the ApostlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe center is operated by the Salesians of Don Bosco, an international community of consecrated religious (brothers and priests) founded by Saint John Bosco in 1859. Their mission is to evangelize and educate young people, especially those who are poor and at risk, in the style of Don Bosco.
• Diocese of St. PetersburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMary Help of Christians Center operates within the Diocese of St. Petersburg and serves as an extension of Catholic Church ministry in the Tampa area, supporting parish communities and safe environment programs.
• Hillsborough County Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMary Has a Little Farm is an approved vendor for Hillsborough County Public Schools, enabling school field trips and educational programs for local students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MaryHelpofChristiansCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/mhc_center
• Xx.com/TampaSalesian
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salesian-society-of-florida-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mary Help