Human Services
Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack (CHIPP)
The Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack (CHIPP) program provides healthy food items to deserving students at three schools in the Cobb County area: Norton Park Elementary, Lockheed Elementary, and Park Street Elementary. Schools are selected based on need (as the majority of the students are on free or reduced lunch programs). Beyond the Power Pack distribution, which is a weekly activity, bonds have been solidified with families, school leaders, and community members. In doing so, The PEARL Foundation, Inc. has been able to help supplement other needs, such as clearing $800 of school lunch debt, providing feminine hygiene products, underwear, and socks, and providing $6000 in holiday assistance to families.
The 2023 community impact: 1,973 Power Packs were distributed over 32 weeks to 97 students enrolled in the CHIPP Program.
Enhancing Our Environment
Through tree planting efforts, twenty (20) trees were planted throughout 2023, alongside community partners Trees Atlanta and the Marietta Tree Keepers. Trees were planted at Chattahoochee Park, the Marietta Country Club, and Young Middle School.
Foundation Members maintain and beautify Hill Park on a semi-annual basis, along with members from the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the Omicron Mu Lambda Chapter (Cobb Alphas), and the Marietta Tree Keepers.
Community shredding and electronics recycling events were also held in 2023, resulting in 85 Pounds of Paper Shredded and 203 Electronics Recycled.
Earth Month activities included waste reduction through upcycling professional clothing to benefit the local Goodwill workforce development program. In 2023, over 400 clothing items were collected and donated.
Golden Citizens
The Golden Citizens program maintains continued interaction with the aging community in Cobb County by providing resources and support to participating seniors. Quarterly events and activities are held at partner senior living facilities (e.g., Johnny Walker Homes). These services and support programs have been provided to our partner facilities for over 20 years.
Education
Youth Leadership Institute (YLI)
Through two cohorts of the Youth Leadership Institute, 27 youth in the Cobb County community from targeted middle schools have participated in a holistic approach to leadership development. Through activities such as tree planting, meeting with legislators, creating vision boards for the future, becoming highly effective teens through self-guided leadership exercises, and engaging in STEM and culture, youth participants' knowledge and skills were enhanced. A sense of environmental stewardship, civic engagement, goal setting, healthy living, and innovation were also things that each participant gained from the experience. This unique skill set makes our youth participants an added benefit to their school community and beyond; they are equipped with the necessary tools to make a positive impact in Cobb County.
Scholarship
The Scholarship Program, in collaboration with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc,® Rho Zeta Omega Chapter, provides annual academic scholarships to African-American females who are graduating seniors from Cobb County and Marietta City high schools. The scholarship program has awarded $570,400 since the inaugural scholarship award in 1989. Please visit the scholarship page to see the names of our scholars and other highlights about where they are now.
Kids Club
The Kids Club program is designed to provide elementary school students with academic support to improve learning outcomes, as well as activities to promote social and emotional well-being and better position students to thrive. After-school sessions are held bi-monthly to include hands-on, engaging learning activities that encourage student engagement, using critical thinking skills, reinforcing literacy and writing skills through games and activities, and expressing themselves through creativity. Over 400 students were served through these enrichment activities as well as other much-needed support.
The program also serves as the vehicle by which we serve as a partner in education with our local schools by providing this programming to the students at Lockheed Elementary School, as well as other resources, including book bags and school supplies. Our other educational partners are also provided with resources based on needs identified by the organization. These partner schools include Park Street Elementary, Norton Park Elementary, and Clay Harmony Leland Elementary.
Partners in Education
The PEARL Foundation, Inc. is a partner in education with Lockheed Elementary, Park Street Elementary, Norton Park Elementary, and Clay Harmony Leland Elementary. Through these partnerships, we have:
- Donated school supplies for Park Street's after-school program.
- Donated snacks to Lockheed Elementary School students during testing.
- Provided breakfast for Lockheed's staff during Teacher Appreciation Week.
- Assembled and distributed 300 back-to-school backpacks with supplies to Lockheed Elementary School Students.
- Cleared out the entire negative cafeteria balance for students at Clay Harmony Leland Elementary School.
- Donated headphones for testing and socks and underwear for students in need at Park Street Elementary.
Healthcare
Mental Health Awareness
During Mental Health Awareness Month, programs focusing on raising awareness related to depression, anxiety, and trauma are provided to the community and organization members. In 2023, a community seminar was held on recognizing the signs of anxiety and depression. In 2024, a mental health awareness webinar was held, as well as a "Love Me Pink" mental wellness and self-care expo. At the expo, community members were provided free self-care and mental health resources, and activities were provided, such as yoga, facials, massages, line dancing, and boxing fitness.
Arts & Humanities
In 2018-2022, a series of activities focused on increasing opportunities for youth engagement and community-wide awareness of visual and performing arts during the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement and their influence on contemporary African American art and culture were held. A collaborative event showcasing the Harlem Renaissance Traveling Exhibit was on display at the Cascade Public Library, where over 700 visitors viewed the exhibit. Other activities held included the following:
- Community Book Chats on Books from These Two Periods.
- Community Day at the Spelman College Fine Arts Museum to expose the community to the current works of artists and the permanent collection.
- Community "Cinema and Conversation" virtual dialogues on films from the two periods.
Economic Empowerment
Build our Economic Wealth
In line with the tenets of the organization, events to support women entrepreneurs were held. A "Pink Pages" directory of female-owned businesses was created and disseminated. A session on "How to Win Government Contracts," which educated women-owned businesses and aspiring business owners on how to secure government contracts, was conducted by presenter Ms. Tammie Bailey-Fults, the Founder and CEO of the National Association of Women-Owned Small Businesses.
Other events, including Estate Planning webinars, have been hosted to provide the community with the essential tools and knowledge for planning one's estate effectively. Attorney Heather Nadler covered key topics and answered questions, guiding attendees through the complexities of estate planning to better protect and secure their assets.