Martha Picinich, a business owner and graduate student at Seattle Pacific University, has taken on a new “hobby” – harvesting purses.
She collects gently used purses and diaper bags that take on a new life and a new purpose. They are filled with donated items that are especially valuable to women and children living on the streets or in transitional housing. In addition, each purse contains a note to the recipient sharing a message sharing love, hope and encouragement.
Picinich calls the project Purposeful Purses. She and a group of friends saw the idea on Facebook and decided that instead of just making purses, they could make a bigger impact by creating a project “kit,” making it easy for community groups to get involved in creating these special purses.
Since kicking off the project in late November by gathering a handful of purses from friends, she has seen the project gain momentum. Last month a team from Swedish Heart and Vascular group created purses. The team leader shared afterwards that the project brought her department closer together, indicating that those who participated “expressed how even just talking about the project made them think over how blessed their lives truly are.” She shared that during the project, participants shared personal stories of how their lives had been affected by the generosity of others. The project helped them to reflect on the moments in their own lives when someone reached out with kindness that really made a difference.
This is essence of the project – creating joy, gratitude and community for everyone.
The Swedish team’s purses were handed out during a Search and Rescue effort in conjunction with Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission on March 10th. “It’s hard to explain the joy I felt seeing a woman’s eyes light upon learning she could take a new purse filled with goodies and given with love”, stated Picinich.
This month a couple of local groups are creating purses and we need more! Demand is growing and we want to make a big impact for Mother’s Day.
We are in need of donations, volunteers, corporate sponsors and we are always looking for more beneficiary organizations. There are so many ways to support and get involved!
Picinich created the Purposeful Purse project while participating in a Landmark Worldwide leadership program. Part of the course work involved creating a project that would benefit the community. Landmark is an international training and development company, that is known for offering their flagship course The Landmark Forum.
"Homelessness is a growing issue in the Seattle area," Picinich said. "When I saw the idea, it touched my heart and moved me to action. I knew it was an opportunity to create a something that could really make a difference, not just for the women and children in our community, but also for those who participate in the project. It has been an absolute joy to see it grow."
