Community care, thoughtfully given.
The Pearl Project by August Pearl Salon is a community outreach initiative created to provide thoughtful care, practical support, and hope to local individuals and families experiencing difficult seasons.
Our work begins with our annual Christmas family adoption—and our vision is to grow into meaningful, year-round community outreach.
Our 2026 Christmas Family Adoption
This Christmas, The Pearl Project is raising $3,000 to help provide thoughtfully selected gifts, clothing, and essential items to local families experiencing hardship.
In previous years, our community generously contributed approximately $500–$700, and August Pearl Salon matched those donations. Even with that combined support, we learned that the available funds were not enough to fulfill all of the family’s requested gifts and essential needs.
This year, we are asking our community to help us do more.
Every donation—large or small—brings us closer to providing more complete, meaningful assistance without leaving important needs unmet.
Can’t donate right now? Sharing our campaign is another meaningful way to help us reach more people.
How The Pearl Project Began
The Pearl Project began in 2024 with August Pearl Salon’s first Christmas family adoption.
We saw a need within our community and felt called to help provide a meaningful Christmas for a local family. Our clients, friends, and neighbors came together to donate gifts, essential items, and financial support—and that first act of giving became a tradition we knew we wanted to continue.
After supporting local families during our first two Christmas seasons, we realized this tradition deserved a permanent name, a stronger foundation, and room to grow.
Now entering our third year, our annual family adoption is officially part of The Pearl Project.
The Christmas program will remain at the heart of our work, but our hope is that this becomes only the beginning.
How Our Family Adoption Works
1. Families are nominated
Local families experiencing hardship are nominated through a confidential application process.
2. Nominations are thoughtfully reviewed
Each submission is reviewed based on the family’s circumstances, immediate needs, and the type of assistance The Pearl Project can responsibly provide.
3. Our community comes together
Once the family or families have been selected, we collect monetary donations, requested gifts, clothing, and essential items.
4. Gifts are prepared and delivered privately
Our team shops, organizes, wraps, and delivers everything with care while protecting each family’s dignity and personal information.
Where Your Donation Goes
Donations to our Christmas campaign will be used to purchase requested items directly for the selected family or families. Depending on their individual needs, this may include:
Christmas gifts for children
Clothing, shoes, and winter necessities
Toys, books, and age-appropriate items
Personal-care and household essentials
Other specifically requested family needs
Families receive thoughtfully selected gifts and essential items rather than unrestricted cash.
Donations and purchases will be tracked, and we will provide a privacy-protected campaign recap showing what our community made possible.
If contributions exceed the immediate needs of the selected Christmas family or families, the remaining funds will be reserved for future Pearl Project community-outreach efforts.
Giving Without Compromising Dignity
You will not see photographs or identifying information about the families receiving support—and that is intentional.
Protecting the dignity and privacy of every family is central to The Pearl Project. No one should be expected to publicly share their name, face, medical information, or personal hardship in exchange for help.
We may share privacy-safe photographs of shopping, donated items, wrapped gifts, and project preparations. However, family identities and sensitive details will remain confidential unless explicit permission is provided.
Our goal is to share the impact of the project without exposing the people receiving support.
Ways You Can Help
Make a monetary donation
Donate securely through our official GoFundMe campaign. Every contribution helps us purchase requested gifts and essential items.
Purchase from a wishlist
Once family wishlists are available, we will share approved opportunities to purchase specific requested items.
Share the campaign
Sharing the fundraiser with your friends, family, workplace, church, or community group can help The Pearl Project reach people outside our immediate circle.
Become a community partner
Local businesses and organizations can support The Pearl Project through financial contributions, approved collection drives, campaign sharing, or sponsored family needs.
Our Vision for the Future
Our Christmas family adoption is where The Pearl Project began, but our vision extends beyond the holiday season.
As the project grows, we hope to develop year-round community outreach that may include practical assistance, basic hair-care essentials, limited complimentary salon services, and compassionate support for people navigating difficult circumstances.
We are beginning thoughtfully and growing responsibly. The services we can provide will depend on available funding, community support, team capacity, and the needs we are equipped to meet.
Every contribution to our Christmas campaign helps us support families today while building a stronger foundation for what The Pearl Project can become in the years ahead.
Campaign Updates and Impact
We believe donors deserve to know how their support is making a difference.
Throughout the campaign, we will share updates about:
Fundraising progress
Important campaign deadlines
Wishlist and donation needs
Shopping and wrapping preparations
Volunteer or community-partner opportunities
Privacy-safe campaign results
After delivery, we will publish a final recap showing what was collected and provided without revealing confidential family information.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are families selected?
Families are nominated confidentially and reviewed based on their circumstances, immediate needs, and the assistance The Pearl Project can responsibly provide.
Are nominations private?
Yes. Information submitted through the nomination process is treated as confidential and is not shared publicly without explicit permission.
Can I nominate myself or my own family?
Yes. You can nominate yourself and your family.
Will the selected families receive cash?
No. The Pearl Project provides requested gifts, clothing, essential items, and other approved assistance directly rather than distributing unrestricted cash.
Can I donate physical items?
We accept approved items that match the current family wishlists and campaign needs. Please contact us before purchasing or dropping off an item so we can prevent duplicates and confirm that it can be used.
Can I donate anonymously?
GoFundMe allows donors to keep their names from being displayed publicly. Donors must still provide the information required by the payment platform to complete the contribution.
Are contributions tax-deductible?
The Pearl Project is a community-giving initiative organized by August Pearl Salon. Contributions are not represented as tax-deductible charitable donations.
What happens if the campaign exceeds its goal?
Funds exceeding the immediate needs of the selected Christmas family or families will be reserved for future Pearl Project community-outreach efforts.
How will donors know how funds were used?
We will track donations and purchases and share a privacy-protected campaign recap after the Christmas adoption is complete.
Can my business participate?
Yes. We welcome conversations with local businesses and organizations interested in supporting or sharing The Pearl Project. Please email Jodi at AugustPearlSalon@gmail.com .
Help Us Create a Lasting Ripple of Care
The Pearl Project is built on the belief that small acts of care can become something much larger when a community comes together.
Whether you donate, purchase an item, share our campaign, or invite others to participate, you are helping a local family feel supported, valued, and remembered this Christmas.
Thank you for helping us turn compassion into meaningful action.
The Pearl Project by August Pearl Salon
Small acts of care can create a lasting ripple.