Have you heard of the Pearl Girls? It's a book (with contributions from Robin Jones Gunn, Debbie Macomber, Melody Carlson and Shaunti Feldhahn, among many others), a blog, a way to raise money for charity, and more. Founder Margaret McSweeney says:
"With His love and grace, God covered the unexpected pain in my life of becoming an adult orphan and transformed this pain into a pearl. Each of us has been touched by God's gift of love and grace, and it's a gift that I want to share with others. That's why I am launching Pearl Girls. Actually, my very first gift from my parents was a pearl. The gift of my name. Margaret means "precious pearl." So perhaps this is what I was always supposed to do. My heart's prayer is that Pearl Girls will be a blessing to others - to the women who contribute their literary talent to the Pearl Girls projects; to the readers who are inspired and comforted by the life experiences shared through these projects and to the women and children who will benefit from the proceeds given by Pearl Girls to various charities. "
Margaret doesn’t keep a penny of any proceeds from the first (and any subsequent) Pearl Girls books. 100% of the royalties go directly to two charities:
WINGS (women in need growing stronger). The proceeds will help fund a Safe House in the Chicago suburbs. It costs $50 a night to provide safe shelter for a woman and her children. During this economy, WINGS is receiving even more phone calls for a safe place to stay. Already, the Pearl Girls have provided 60 nights with the advance royalties!
Hands of Hope. The proceeds will help build wells in Uganda for school children. Can you imagine a child at school without a water fountain in the hallway where he or she can grab a quick sip of water in between classes on a hot day? These children have to drink from puddles and other water sources which carry diseases and parasites. It costs $12,000 to build a well in Uganda. Already, the Pearl Girls have provided funds to build ¼ of a well!
Margaret says, "After the first Pearl Girls tea in Atlanta, I went to my brother, Claude's home to help sort through our parents' boxes in his basement. It was an emotional experience and tedious process to discover what was in each box, to decide what to do with each item and to discard those belongings which we needed to let go. After several long hours of sorting, I received an incredible hug from heaven - a confirmation that Pearl Girls is something that is meant to be. I discovered a three strand necklace of painted pearls belonging to my grandmother from the early 1900s! Isn't that amazing?"
She adds, "Inspired by the many women who opened their lives and shared their stories in Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, we have created sister site, Post-a-Pearl. A place to continue the connection and encouragement the book began. I hope you will take the opportunity to connect through the Post-a-Pearl site. We are all Pearl Girls! Please post your own Pearl story and reach out to share your journey with others. Collaborating is an important purpose of Pearl Girls. We connect to make a difference in the world." Interested in becoming a part of the movement? You can find all the info and instructions on the Post-a-Pearl website.
Wanna know more? Read an excerpt of the book here. Watch the video here. Or buy the book and make a difference here.
