I recently received the opportunity to post about the Purple Purse Campaign. I love this campaign because it gets people talking about domestic violence and I know some people personally who has been a victim of domestic violence. Many don’t talk about it or know of a way out. They don’t know if they can financially leave, or if they want to leave at all or leave and go back to the relationship. Did you know that domestic violence affect one in four women in their lifetime and did you know that more than a third of Americans have never discussed the issue with family or friends? That’s a lot. The Purple Purse helps with all kinds of information and passing along a Purple Purse is a great conversation opener.
Program Message:
“As part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, Purple Purse, The Allstate Foundation’s symbol for domestic violence, proudly represents a woman’s way to escape the cycle of abuse by gaining financial independence. Now in its third year, The Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse campaign has pledged to donate up to $350,000 to the YWCA for programs designed at assisting survivors of domestic violence and other women in need.”
The Purple Purse is in its third year and the Allstate Foundation will donate up to $350,000 to YWCA for programs that support victims of domestic violence and build financial empowerment. For every Purple Purse that is passed and re-passed, the Allstate Foundation will donate $5 for each purse check-in. A total of 1,300 real Purple Purses were or will be given to champions of the cause such as government officials, celebrities, media, bloggers, domestic violence organization leaders, local YWCAs, and Allstate employees and agents. You can visit purplepurse.com to track where the purses are in the country and to see how far along the donation has come.
Thirty YWCA’s were selected to receive 10 purses each to pass along to raise money for their cause. If the YWCA’s are able to pass along their purses at least 1,000 times, Allstate Foundation will double their donation and reward them with a $10,000 grant.
So how are these Purple Purses passed and how do they know they are to donate each time one is passed?
When you receive a Purple Purse, open it up and you will see a purse code on the information card hanging inside the purse. Go to purplepurse.com (A Spanish-language site is available at www.bolsomorado.com.) and enter the code and your current zip code, then register. The simple registration just triggered a $5 donation from the Foundation!
After you have logged on and registered your Purple Purse, find someone to pass it along to. Make sure it’s someone you know who will do the same thing. Take this opportunity to talk about domestic violence and encourage the person you are passing it along to do the same with who they pass it along to. Each person will do the same thing and register the purse with their current zip code and each time it is registered, another donation will be made by the Foundation.
Virtual Purple Purse
You can also pass and share a virtual Purple Purse at https://www.facebook.com/purplepurse for each virtual Purple Purse that is shared, another $5 donation will be made. Just as everyone involved with this program wants to say thanks, I too want to say thanks to everyone who participates.
You can also use the code above: 0030 and enter it at www.purplepurse.com to pass the purse!
Along with this post, I will also be receiving an actual Purple Purse to start passing along and I am really excited about being part of it! This campaign is something that I am passionate about and I love what this campaign does and how it works. The idea of passing something along to open the door of discussion makes it unique and very helpful to many. The campaign will last through the end of October. Hopefully the Purple Purses will continue to be passed along even after the campaign ends.
For more information, please visit: http://www.purplepurse.com/
If someone you know is in an abusive relationship, where can they go to find help?
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or TTY 1-800-787-3224 for safety planning, assistance and resources in your area.
Disclosure: This post is part of a sponsored campaign with The Allstate Foundation and MomSelect. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
