After managing hundreds of purses and donations through her living and office spaces, Angel Freedman began sending them to social services and shelters throughout the GTA Dec. 2.
The president and founder of the Fill a Purse for a Sister Campaign helped gather 8,021 purses in total throughout dozens of Ontario municipalities, including Newmarket. The purses go to help women in need, filled with basic necessities.
“I’m overwhelmed and grateful that people took the time to shop and fill purses,” she said.
The initiative, now in its seventh year, will see purses distributed with the help of the York Regional Police. The campaign runs from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1, but donations are still getting distributed.
Freedman said the campaign reached similar totals as last year when it gathered approximately 9,000 purses. Some donations could come in late to add to the total, though she said they can no longer accept purse donations. But Freedman did encourage monetary donations to help cover expenses, such as organizers topping up purses with important missing items.
“That helps,” she said. “You can do that all year.”
Newmarket officially gathered 971 purses, though a last-minute effort from Newmarket residewnt Jackie Player pushed the local total above 1,000.
This year also added a challenge component, with Newmarket Mayor John Taylor competing against Whitchurch-Stouffville Mayor Iain Lovatt to lead their communities in outraising the other. Both filmed videos with women’s products spread across their desks. Lovatt won the challenge with 1,444 purses gathered in his community, earning him the title of “purse guy.”
“Congratulations on an amazing result,” Taylor said on Facebook. “ I am glad that together, our towns were able to provide such amazing support! To all the people who participated and donated — thank you for supporting this amazing cause."
Freedman said it was a successful way to help promote the campaign and she hopes to get more mayors involved next year.
“It was fabulous. They were really good sports,” she said. “It was a fun challenge between two friends.”
The campaign will carry on again next year, though Freedman said she would like to find a warehouse she could use for six months to help with product storage.
“That’s kind of my dream going forward,” she said. “And just keep going, trying to get purses in the hands of the women who need them most.”
Freedman said the effort is made possible by the police, businesses and community leads who gather donations across the many communities taking part.
“It’s a very well-oiled machine, it is, and with everybody’s help, it happens.”
You can donate to the campaign at fillapurseforasistercampaign.ca/donations.
