The Pearl Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping caregivers better understand and support children who have experienced trauma, received a $20,000 Community Investment Grant from United Way of the Emerald Coast and CHELCO Foundation.
- The grant will fund training, support groups, family events, one-on-one coaching and book studies to support foster, adoptive and kinship care families in Okaloosa and Walton counties. Online and in-person training opportunities will equip families with research-backed insights and practical tools to help them give care to children from difficult backgrounds.
The organization aims to bring children and families together through activities built to foster connection.
“When caregivers gain insight into how trauma affects a child’s brain, body, beliefs and behavior, it transforms relationships, and healing becomes possible,” said Stephen Zedler, development director.
The Pearl Project’s staff includes trained TBRI practitioners who are also parents of foster and adopted children with experience applying trauma-informed principles in their homes and professional training settings.
The organization served 127 adults and 272 children in Okaloosa and Walton counties in 2024-2025.
For more information about The Pearl Project or to sign up for programs, visit here or contact Leslie Fuller, director of Northwest Florida, at 352-405-5950 or leslie@thepearlproject.org.
