Group steps up to give women in need a helping hand(bag)

When the original organizer of a charity that gives handbags filled with personal items to women in need couldn't do it this year, Sharon Evans stepped up.

"I just said this can't not be done this year and can we fill in for you for the year," she said.

She gathered some friends and created Handbags of Hope, which asks people to donate gently used handbags filled with toiletries, personal hygiene items, mitts, socks, and other items.

"Anything that you think would make somebody's life easier for just a little bit to give them some relief and to let them know that there are women out there that are thinking about them," Evans said.

Handbags of Hope has gathered more than 1,200 handbags and delivered them to organizations working with disadvantaged groups throughout Winnipeg.

Evans has done volunteer work for Children's Hospital and Cancer Care, but said this project is special.

"It was just that it was women to women," she said. "Women are the most forgotten people at Christmas time. They're looking out for their families to make sure their families get stuff for Christmas, that their families are fed and clothed."

The original project, called Purses of Hope, in previous years had gathered about 275 purses.

When Evans and her friends decided to take the reins, they had no idea how much work it would be. But the sheer number of purses they have delivered shows how great the need is, she said.

"When we would sit here on a Sunday morning and go through the purses, we would be in tears, or somebody would go, 'oh my gosh you guys, look at his purse' when you saw what one stranger — how much love one stranger — put in a purse to give to [another] stranger," Evans said.

"I've been emotionally exhausted for three weeks, crying with people."

After bringing together about 10 of her friends, Evans said the project has grown to close to 30 volunteers, as family members have also gotten involved.

The holiday campaign ended Dec. 15 but donations are still being gladly accepted and can be dropped off at Lake Life, 440 Academy Rd.

The group asks that handbags be filled with items because the they no longer have supplies.

The list of suggested items includes: socks, mitts/gloves, hats/tuques, shampoo/conditioner/soap, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, brush/comb, Kleenex, granola bars, tea, soup packages, gum, transit tickets, small denomination gift cards, small gift, a piece of pre-loved jewelry.

Evans said the need for the items in the purses exists all year round and hopes some of the organizations that received purses have some left over to give out later in the year.

She is thinking of doing another donation drive for Mother's Day and next Christmas and said she and the original organizer plan to team up.