Anything you feel you would need if starting over with nothing, When I first started I focused a lot on the hygiene items. Shampoos and conditioners, lotions and soaps and toothbrushes and toothpaste. As the project grew and the purses were distributed I learned a few things. While I still take donations of those items, most of the hygiene items are provided at shelters. They can get those items. What they cannot get is where we come in! The essentials like skin care, nail care, makeup and jewelry. Condoms and tampons and pens and notebooks. Hairbrushes and hair ties. Shaving razors and deodorant and perfume. The things that make you feel pretty, and human. Instead of her feeling disposable let’s make her feel indispensable! In ten years she can still be rocking that Coach or Michael Kors bag and wearing that necklace and think “ya know, that was a really hard time in my life, but look at me now!”

The filled purses are donated to individuals and nonprofit organizations throughout Northern California directly helping and impacting the lives of sex trafficking and domestic violence survivors, women being released from incarceration and rehabilitation, women suffering from the effects of poverty, refugees, transgender youth, fire survivors and our homeless women.

juliespurseproject@gmail.com