Girlz 2 Pearlz Inc

As the Founder of Girlz2Pearlz, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Georgia, I lead programs that empower young women who are homeless, have aged out of foster care, or are facing unstable home environments.  The organization targets a region with limited programs tailored to this underserved population.  These young women are amongst the most vulnerable in our community, often exiting state care without housing, employment, or access to adult mentorship.   

My journey began over 20 years ago with a simple conversation with a family friend.  She explained her flourishing ministry with group homes for boys.  The ups and downs were worth the rewards!  I asked if she worked with ministries that served girls.  She emphatically responded, “No one wants to work with the girls!  They’re too difficult!”  A voice within me said, “But you can.”  My friend's words still resonate with me, years later.  I began serving as a youth leader, teaching Sunday School, creating youth productions, and planning activities and outings.  Soon after relocating to Georgia, I joined a mentoring program for teenage girls on probation.  I later began working with a group home for young girls in foster care.   From these experiences, I learned how to connect with the older teen girls.  Initially, my “old school” ways collided with their “fresh” mouths and “cheeky” personalities.  I also learned how to listen without judging, regardless of whether or not I agree with them.

Every generation responds differently to life’s issues.  The difference between the young ladies I’ve mentored and myself at their age is the positive influence of a community of women that did not tolerate laziness or disrespect from their child or their neighbor’s child.  The message was the same throughout the community.   Get your education, work hard, and do something positive with your life!  I developed a heart for creating safe spaces to help build character, restore hope, and inspire ladies to finish strong!  To imagine more out of life, which became the Girlz 2 Pearlz motto.     

Girlz2Pearlz, Inc. was founded in 2022 and is based in Newton County, Georgia.  The organization found a lack of supportive, transitional programs available to young women between the ages of 18 – 24 in the area.   They exited state care without housing, employment, or access to adult mentorship or family support.  Our mission is to provide holistic, trauma-informed support that helps young women gain independence and build meaningful, purpose-driven lives.  Girlz2Pearlz currently offers life skills training, mentoring, and community resources as part of its flagship More Out of Life Program. These services focus on personal development, wellness, financial literacy, and self-sufficiency.  Through this program, we’re launching a pilot transitional housing component paired with wraparound services to further that transformation.

The program consists of two integrated components: 

Life Skills Empowerment & Mentorship Track – serving up to 40 young women annually, this component includes structured workshops, small group sessions, and one-on-one coaching focused on financial literacy, job readiness, conflict resolution, healthy relationships, and goal-setting.

 

Transitional Housing Pilot – this new, housing-focused track will offer a safe, supervised residence to four participants initially. The home will provide stability while residents engage in daily routines that include chore sharing, wellness checks, career counseling, and individualized case management.

 

This dual approach ensures that not only are basic needs met (such as shelter, food, and safety), but that deeper personal transformation and independence are fostered. The curriculum emphasizes resilience, long-term planning, and community reintegration.

The primary beneficiaries of this project will be disconnected or under-supported young adult women who are at high risk for homelessness, trafficking, or poverty due to systemic gaps in post-foster care and youth services. Secondary beneficiaries include their future families and the broader community, which benefits from reduced public service costs and increased civic and economic engagement.

Girlz 2 Pearlz Inc. is passionate about creating a community of strong, skillful, wise, and compassionate women.  Our program is not intended to reinvent the wheel but to simply go back to the basics.  Good old-fashioned “home training” that still works.  Cultivating character traits that demonstrate good judgment, strong work ethics, respect for self and others, we prepare these girls for a future where the possibilities for them are endless.  A future where every girl has the chance to imagine more out of life!