10,000 Purses: The Power of a Pocketbook

I was going to call this post "104 Purses." 104 is the approximate number of women whose housing is provided by my local YWCA.

Today I was granted a tour of this facility and I was both delighted and saddened by what I saw. I was delighted because inside and out, the YWCA was incredibly well-maintained, clean and nicely painted and decorated. There were sunny play spaces with plenty of toys for children, a computer lab and lounges and common areas for all to use. Even more delightful were the staff members who gave me the tour and spoke with passion as advocates for the women (some of them mothers) who live there.

I was saddened however, to think about what it takes for someone to end up there. Nowhere else to turn, no family to count on and no other support. No resources. Women often arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs and their children in tow.

The rooms they will live in are so small that a twin bed and a pull-out trundle are literally all that fit inside. I'm sure this is by design, so as to fit as many rooms as possible into the building. The women and children will rely on donated items from toiletries to towels and bed linens. As I peered into one of these rooms, I tried to imagine life with Sophie in that little room. It was safe, clean and adequate, but without any privacy between mother and child. It would be tough.

My reason for visiting the YWCA was to talk to the staff about what kinds of needs the residents have, and what my organization, Mothers & More (www.mothersandmore.org) can do to fill some of those needs as we gear up for a Mother's Day community outreach campaign. I was given "the list" -- things that residents need every day like food, toiletries and linens. Go through your typical day, and if you use it, they probably need it.

I asked my guide though, somewhat sheepishly, if the women might like... new purses? I almost dismissed the thought as I said it, but her face just lit up, immediately understanding the significance of a good purse to a woman. For the men reading this, just so you can understand, a purse becomes symbolic of your life. It's what keeps you together and what you can't live without. It is one of the few things a woman uses every day.

A purse can also symbolize power; the power that having enough money can bring. Little girls who get their first real purse suddenly feel grown up and independent. It's not any different for women. Purses, and the money in them, still make us feel like like we can exercise some control in our lives.

So I left today, having made a promise that my group would find a new, quality purse for every woman, all 104 of them. As I drove away, I thought about all the generous people I know, and how many people they know, and how a good idea can spread like wildfire. I'll bet we can do even more. So I e-mailed some of my friends at Mothers & More and pitched the idea... nationally, we are about 125 chapters, so at 80 purses a chapter, it is well within our reach to give 10,000 purses to sheltered women across the country... a significant number, enough to spark a movement that will bring attention to a number of "pocketbook issues" that women, particularly mothers face.

So if you happen to know Kate Spade or Liz Claiborne or Ms. Coach, please send them my way. We will need all the help we can get.