Everett's Place Play Café

06/11/2026

As a special needs mom (Annie) & sister (Glory), we don't just know these statistics. We live them.
And while these numbers are especially true for caregivers of medically complex children, the reality is that parenting itself can be incredibly isolating. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆. We all need encouragement. We all need people who understand.
That's why Everett's Place is being molded into more than an indoor playground.
Yes, children will come here to play, imagine, learn, and explore...
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿!
A place where parents can take a deep breath.
A place where caregivers can find support.
A place where friendships are formed and burdens are shared.
A place where someone might hand you a cup of coffee, ask how you're really doing, and remind you that you're not carrying this hard life alone.🥹
Because sometimes what a caregiver or parent needs most isn't another appointment, another therapy, or another item on the to do list...
Sometimes they just need to feel seen.

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕'𝒔 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆.

Our namesake, Everett, has faced some incredibly difficult medical challenges this year. As his parents navigate complex decisions about his care and future, their passion for building this nonprofit has only grown stronger! 💪🏼
Through every hospital stay, appointment, and uncertainty, we've become even more convinced that families and caregivers in our community deserve to be seen, supported, and cared for.
That's why we're being intentional about every connection we build, every program we create, and every activity we offer. Because the families in our community matter.

𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴!

05/01/2026

Community Question of the week!

✍️What’s the best compliment you’ve ever been given as a parent? 🥹🫶🏻

📢 Tag a parent, and give them a compliment they deserve!♥️

04/27/2026

Thank you so much, Casey State Bank! 😍🦓

Today's 30 Days of Giving recipient is Everett's Place Play Cafe.

Everett’s Place Play Café is a full-service café & indoor children’s play center, offering specialty beverages and interactive play for kids ages 10 and under. Everett’s Place Play Café is a place where children can play freely in an environment designed with their health and safety at the forefront. Where every precaution of health is taken seriously and never overlooked. Where connections are made, friendships are formed, and no one feels alone in their journey.

Stay tuned as we continue giving all month long! ❤️

Pictured from left to right: Glory Deremiah, Co-Founder, Briana Phipps, CSB CSR, and Annie Banton, Co-Founder.

04/19/2026

This part of Everett’s Place Play Cafe is EXTRA special to us! 🤍
Every program you see here has come from real, first-hand experience as a medical mom. The hospital stays, the constant adjusting, the little things that end up meaning so much… I’ve found myself thinking over and over, “this would help so many families.”

So instead of just wishing for it, we’re building it! 💪🏼

These aren’t just ideas, they’re things I’ve needed, things I’ve seen others need, and things we are so excited to offer not only to our local community, but to any family willing to travel to us.

A place to feel supported
A place to feel understood
A place where joy and real life can exist together

We cannot wait to see this vision come to life and serve families in this way. 🥹
Comment below which one of these programs you're excited to support or utilize!⬇️

12/20/2025

It has been a while since we have updated you, because things have been shifting behind the scenes, and today feels like the right moment to finally say it out loud... 👀

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁’𝘀 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁!

This decision was not made lightly. It was made with deep intention and a clear calling from God to serve our local community, and especially families walking the hard and often isolating road of medically compromised and special needs care. ♥️

Over the last few weeks, our resolve was strengthened in a way we could have never planned. Everett is just now settling back at home after spending three weeks at the Children’s Hospital and undergoing surgery to place a G-Tube and a Medi Port. Living fully inside "medical mom" life during that time changed me (Annie). It clarified everything for this venture in a beautiful way... 🥹

Families like ours deserve a place that feels safe, joyful, and life giving.
Everett’s Place Play Cafe has always been a vision of "comfort and support", but is now being built with a new term in it's foundation... Refuge. A place where caregivers can finally exhale. Where children can play freely in an environment designed with their health and safety at the forefront. Where every precaution of health is taken seriously, and never overlooked. Where connections are made, friendships are formed, and no one feels alone in their journey.
This new chapter means we are officially inviting families, individuals, and businesses to begin planning ahead for early 2026 and partner with us financially to bring this vision to life. The response so far has been absolutely incredible! Over 100 caregivers and medical professionals have already stepped forward in verbal support, in addition to the traction of our social media announcement, and the local businesses that have told us "we will financially give to this!" That momentum tells us this is something powerful and we're ready to hit the ground running in the New Year!
This is needed and wanted in our community. And this is happening, by the grace of God!🙌

As we head into the Christmas season, we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
If this mission speaks to you, help us spread the word. Invite your friends, especially those who care for medically fragile children, to follow along as we build something truly special in our little town. Please reach out to us here or by email if you're feeling called to be a part of bringing this project to fruition! ♥️

Big things are coming, we can see it on the horizon.
2026 is our year!

10/12/2025

📣ANNOUNCEMENT!!!📣
Everett's Place Play Café is making our very first public appearance in the form of a toddler play tent at the MCA Fall Festival from 4 to 8 PM at Maranatha Christian Academy in Mattoon!
Stop by to learn all about what we plan to offer and hear some exciting updates about our next steps. We are moving toward becoming a nonprofit organization to better serve families, provide scholarships, and make our space accessible to every child who needs it most.
You can also find out how to get involved through donations, sponsorships, and community partnerships as we take this next step forward.
Our booth is set up for ages 3 & under, complete with toys, interactive activities, and a cozy safe play space!
Come enjoy the MCA Fall Festival with inflatables, a zip line, a touch a truck area, face painting, local vendors, food trucks, coffee, live music, and a family friendly magic show (5pm)!
We cannot wait to see you tonight and share all that is coming for Everett’s Place! 🖤

09/03/2025

Everett’s story is being shared at a Metabolic Conference in JAPAN right now because he is truly one-of-a-kind. Out of the entire world, he is the only known child with MMA CblB (Methylmalonic Acidemia Cobalamin B) who inherited the disease the way he did. There’s just one other case reported like his, but it was a different form of MMA (not CblB).

And yet, despite the unknowns and the hurdles, Everett is thriving. He continues to beat the odds, living proof of God’s grace and His incredible plan. 🙌🏼
It’s because of his rare journey that Everett’s Place Play Café was born in our hearts! A place where every child belongs, where differences are celebrated, and where parents (especially medical parents) can find connection, support, and hope. 🥹
Everett’s life is paving the way for something bigger than himself, and we are so blessed to watch it unfold. ✨🦓✨

08/28/2025

🍜THIS IS IMPORTANT🍲

We need to know your soup stance....

Do you enjoy soup year round, or only seasonally when it's chilly out?! Tell us below! ⬇️😋

08/27/2025

✨ God has been MOVING in our hearts about Everett’s Place Play Café lately! ✨

We’ve been working faithfully behind the scenes and doing our best to align every step of this journey with His will. We would love for you to pray with us, that this space becomes exactly what God desires it to be, nothing more and nothing less.

This new season brings fresh direction in how our Play Café will be guided and organized, and we believe it could bless our community in a POWERFUL way. We are humbled that He would allow us to play even a small part in bringing this vision to life, and we are so eager to share things with you all in the right timing.
ALL Glory to God!🥹Stick with us for all the exciting news that's coming your way!💛

With Love,
Annie & Glory

06/24/2025

🎉 Everett’s Place just got a whole lot sweeter! 🍪

Coming soon to Charleston… something delicious is baking!
We’re thrilled to announce that The Nerdy Baker Charleston is joining forces with Everett’s Place Play Cafe! 🧁✨
Her bakery will be operating from inside our cafe, bringing you her signature sweets, colorful treats, and creative confections—all made fresh on-site. From birthday cakes & cookies to cozy café snacks, she’s adding the perfect sprinkle of magic to our play-and-sip experience. ☕️🎂
She’s also cooking up a brand new, bold and playful look that aligns perfectly with our family-friendly vibe—and we can’t wait for you to see it. 💖
We’re getting closer to this dream opening to our community… and now you’ll have even more reasons to stop by when we do. Stay tuned!!