Power of the Purse Campaign

Mothers-More-Power-of-PurseWomen from across the country are uniting in efforts to support mothers, giving them something extra they can clutch, carry and cinch.

Mothers & More created Power of a Purse to draw attention to mothers’ economic issues, in part through the act of collecting new or gently used purses for mothers in need. Purses symbolize a woman’s economic power. Now more than ever, many families rely on a mother’s income. Mothers & More supports the belief that no matter where a woman rests on the social ladder, there is “power in her purse” when she is able to provide for herself and her children.

More than an accessory, a purse and its contents reflect the many roles and responsibilities that mothers shoulder every day. Now in its fourth year, Power of a Purse has provided nearly 15,000 purses, as well as personal items to fill those purses, to financially vulnerable mothers.

It has been thrilling to watch Power of a Purse grow tremendously over the past few years,” said Lisa Blackwell, 2012 Campaign Project Manager, Member of Broome-Tioga, NY Chapter 52. “What started out as the efforts of a few chapters has expanded across the country and reached thousands of mothers. Some of these moms have told us that they never before owned a purse. Others were excited to pair a purse with an outfit for upcoming job interviews. We hear time and again how much they appreciated the thoughtfulness and support that we offered.”

During the past three years, local chapters of Mothers & More have brought their own touch to the national campaign, which takes place in the weeks surrounding Mother’s Day in May. Members of Chapter 163 in Northeast Ohio united with a local mall to collect more than 700 purses from the greater community. These purses were then donated to a shelter providing care to female victims of domestic abuse.

But the campaign is more than just collecting purses. Last year, members of Chapter 209 in Boulder, Colorado, developed the Empowered PURSE program. This program enables chapter members to explore their attitudes toward money and make plans to reach personal financial goals. Chapters may also share this program with their communities.

This year, we are looking forward to connecting with more moms, not only providing purses to women in need, but also offering opportunities to increase mothers’ financial savvy.”

To learn more about Power of a Purse, or find out what a local chapter of Mothers & More is doing in your community, please visit www.mothersandmore.org or contact Lisa Blackwell at powerofapurse@mothersandmore.org.

Mothers & More is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers. It is committed to creating a place for mothers to feel a part of a larger community of women who are experiencing the joys and challenges that all mothers face, not only in raising children but also in fulfilling their sense of self. The organization addresses mothers’ needs as individuals and members of society and promotes the value of all the work mothers do.