One local organization has been overwhelmed at the community’s response towards a new Christmas campaign.
The Community Information and Volunteer Centre (CIVC) launched its Fill a Purse For a Sister Campaign for the first time this year. The initiative encourages people to fill purses with supplies to support women in the region.
They originally set a goal of 1,000 purses, and have received around half that amount.
Alice Cameron, office manager and special events coordinator with CIVIC, said they weren’t expecting to hit their goal, but added that the community support has been “amazing”.
“We didn’t know how many numbers to expect, because it’s the first year. But it’s something that’s taken off and has started snowballing,” she said.
Two weeks before Christmas, the SNUG program – a program that provides community outreach to reduce harm for women, transgender, and male individuals who are working in prostitution – reached out for some of the purses.
The program, run by the Metis Child and Family Services Society Edmonton, asked for 150 purses.
To help meet the need, Cameron posted on Facebook on Dec. 20 asking for more donated items.
“It’s like our own little Christmas miracle, because it’s just kept growing. People kept dropping off purses,” she said.
From the campaign, CIVC also donated purses to Youth Empowerment and Support Services, the Edmonton Mustard Seed, Hope Mission and the YWCA Edmonton.
Cameron was expecting donations to slow down as Christmas approached, but in the last week of the campaign they received another 165 fashion bags.
In four days during that week, CIVIC received 94 purses. Superstore in St. Albert donated $100 to help fill some of the purses that were left empty.
One school in St. Albert also pitched in to help. Sir George Simpson Junior High collected 56 purses and donated $100 they had won through the 2018 Leaders of Tomorrow award. The money was used to fill the small bags.
The Fill a Purse For a Sister Campaign originally began in 2015 in Ontario. Founder and social worker Angel Freedman wanted to support local homeless women in the region. Since then the campaign has travelled to communities across Canada.
Cameron said they decided to launch the campaign in St. Albert, and expects it to continue annually.
The new and gently used purses were dropped off before Christmas, containing writing materials, personal care items, wallets, gift cards, winter wear and personal hygiene products.
In helping CIVC reach its goal, purses were also collected at the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce, State Farm by Charlene Zoltenko and the Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club.
“We know that St. Albert is very generous,” she said. “It’s been wonderful seeing these purses come in, they’re so full ... it’s charity wrapped in dignity.”
Next year, the organization will seek ways to engage more men to donate items. Cameron said many women already own gently used purses, making it easy for them to give those away.
For more information about the program, visit the CIVIC Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/StAlbertCIVC.
