Donating purses for a purpose

For over a decade, the Hill City Community has been donating purses for a purpose in a charitable initiative called The Purse Project.

Organized by Sue Anderson of Hill City, it collects gently used or new purses along with new personal and essential filler items. These are assembled into gift bags that are donated to the Cornerstone Women’s and Children’s Home in Rapid City and  Women Escaping a Violent Environment (WEAVE) in Custer. 

Larger purses are especially appreciated as they hold more donated items.

“If they get too small, then we can’t put our wonderful filler items in,” said Anderson. “Medium to large is what we really like to use.”

The project is very personal in nature. Each purse is filled with the kind of items someone might carry in their own bag, making every gift both thoughtful and practical.

As for filler items, “Just a few of the things that we are needing this year would be chapstick, packages of gum, mints, combs, women’s gloves or children’s gloves,” said Anderson. 

Purse or travel sizes are best. 

Other recommended items include socks, scarves or knitted caps as well as lotions, toiletry items, feminine products, jewelry and washcloths. For children, small toys, socks, caps, mittens or candy are encouraged. Monetary donations are also welcome and used to purchase any additional items needed for the purses or kitchen staples for the recipients. 

“Last year, we did a lot of baking staples so they could bake for the holidays,” said Anderson. 

For the children, new pillows and handmade pillowcases stitched by the Heart of the Hills Quilters are provided in addition to the donated items. 

“When you take things in,” Anderson said, “and they have tears in their eyes, you know that they are so appreciative of this project.”

Kendra Heeb, owner of The Handbag Store, has supported the project the last couple years, offering an extra incentive for donations. This year, from Sept. 25 through Oct. 4, anyone who brought items to donate from the recommended list, received 25 percent off their purchase at the store. 

“She’s been a wonderful help,” said Anderson.

Anderson expressed her thankfulness for the donations from the community and beyond that make the project possible. 

“I really want to thank everybody that is involved with this to make a happier Christmas for many that have so little. I just think that’s what Christmas is all about, is to help those in need,” said Anderson. 

“It helps so many women,” said Donna Talley, director of WEAVE. “It’s wonderful.”

The purses will be assembled Dec. 5 and delivered to the organizations. 

“We give them at Christmas,” said Talley. “If we have extras, we give them to other survivors throughout the year as they come in.”

“It’s just such a heartwarming project,” Anderson declared.