By Nancy Karpenske
The Pearl Group is a nonprofit that helps single parents in specialized ways. This group was launched by business owners from LifeBridge Christian Church who wanted to do more than just donate money. The Pearl Group can apply for grants, seek donors, and arrange partnerships with foundations and agencies that might not give to a church. The Pearl programs offer a wide array of services:
“¢ A car clinic happens on Saturdays every other month. Two local garages open their doors for teams of volunteer mechanics.
“¢ The Closet is a free clothing bank for moms and kids.
“¢ The Pearl Kid Mentoring program has 25 volunteer mentors who provide encouragement, games, and homework help for children whose parents attend on Wednesday nights. The program is patterned after Kids Hope USA, a mentoring program for public schools.
“¢ Focus Pearl is a pilot program to help supplement a mom”s resources and individualized mentoring. The mom is “adopted” by a mentor couple. She receives career counseling, financial training, and scholarship funds, as well as discipling from a resource team. The goal for her is a stable home with a career that provides financial stability.
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This article is a sidebar to Nancy Karpenske’s “How We Serve Single Moms,” an article about ministry at LifeBridge Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado.
Author: Christian Standard
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