Funding comes as Johnstown nonprofit experiences record demand for services supporting women with medically related hair loss
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (October 26, 2026) — Royal Neighbors of America® has awarded a $20,000 Nation of Neighbors℠ grant to Operation BeYoutiful, a Johnstown, Pennsylvania-based nonprofit providing no cost wigs and supportive services to women and girls experiencing medically related hair loss.
The grant comes during a year of unprecedented demand. Operation BeYoutiful typically budgets to serve approximately 100 women annually. By August, the organization had already accepted more than 100 applications for 2026—the most it has ever served in an entire year.
Founded by Andi Palmar and her daughter, Lauren, Operation BeYoutiful began by providing wigs to teenage girls and has since expanded to serve women of all ages. Today, each recipient has access to more than $3,500 in products and services at no cost, including professionally fitted wigs, wellness services, monthly gatherings, meals, and home cleaning assistance.
For Palmar, those services are about restoring something illness can take away—a woman’s sense of herself.
“I want her to feel like herself. I want her to feel like she felt before she got diagnosed,” Palmar said. “I want her to be able to look in the mirror and see herself as she knows herself—and not see her illness.”
The $20,000 Royal Neighbors grant will help Operation BeYoutiful meet growing demand without reducing its existing programs and services due to financial constraints. The funding will also allow the organization to explore expanding its services in 2027 based on feedback from the women it serves.
“We are a very small organization in little, tiny Johnstown, Pennsylvania,” Palmar said. “To have this recognition and this gift is so humbling and so very generous. It’s life changing for our organization.”
Operation BeYoutiful was nominated for the Nation of Neighbors award by Kelly Majer, a Royal Neighbors independent agent and a five-year volunteer whose connection to the mission is deeply personal. Majer’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 28 and died in her late 40s.
Majer has seen firsthand what happens when a woman puts on a wig and recognizes herself again.
“They say, ‘I look like myself. I look like myself again,’” Majer said. “If we can give that piece back to these women, it gives me chills even talking about it.”
“Royal Neighbors was founded on the belief that when we support women, we strengthen families and communities,” said Amy Jones, senior director of social impact for Royal Neighbors of America. “Operation BeYoutiful brings that belief to life, and we’re honored to invest in their work to bring support to even more women.”
The award is part of Royal Neighbors of America’s Nation of Neighbors℠ program, which recognizes community leaders making a meaningful difference for women and girls and provides grant funding to help expand their impact.
About Royal Neighbors of America
In 1895, nine founding women created a membership community. They were one of the first to make life insurance accessible to women. Now, 131 years later, Royal Neighbors remains committed to its mission of Insuring Lives, Supporting Women, and Serving Communities℠. The organization’s members, chapters, employees, and its independent agents across the country drive this mission through localized volunteerism and philanthropic programs, making social impact the cornerstone of their work.
Royal Neighbors members experience Insurance with a Difference℠ through tailored life insurance and annuity products, opportunities to give back in their communities, and access to member benefits that support financial and personal well-being.
Royal Neighbors holds an “A” (Excellent) rating from AM Best for financial strength and its ability to meet ongoing obligations to certificate holders. In 2025, Royal Neighbors received its ninth Great Place to Work certification. In 2026 Royal Neighbors was recognized by Forbes and Statista as a World’s Best Insurance Company. For more information, visit royalneighbors.org.
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Marie Young
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Royal Neighbors of America
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