Amherst, N.S., shelter gives out purses with a purpose this holiday season

Dawn Ferris has been at Autumn House for seven years and giving to their clients at Christmas has always been a top priority.

The shelter gives out shoeboxes filled with donations through a Halifax-based initiative year round to new clients, but at Christmas they make sure the bag it comes in is a gift in itself.

“It’s one of the times of year, the most stressful time of year, and if you’re dealing with a recent breakup or domestic violence or those challenges…it’s just a nice way of celebrating and feeling part of a bigger community,” said Ferris, executive director for the Cumberland County Transition House Association.

While unsure of the exact date it started, Ferris says for years staff have been filling gently-used purses that have been donated from the community with items like deodorant, soap and socks.

“Every year we have between 30-40 purses that we give out,” said Ferris. “It used to be between 20-30 and now it’s between 30-40. Intakes are up, needs are bigger and there’s more strife and stress out there.”

Autumn House is a 24/7 shelter that offers services to women and gender diverse people who have been abused by an intimate partner.

The purses go to any new client who came to the shelter this year – if they’re still in the county – anyone who is living or has lived at the shelter itself and even clients from years ago.

“We have some clients from years ago who live alone and are isolated and we make sure that we include them, too,” said Ferris.

Donated purses at Copper Tree Boutique. (Source: Alana Pickrell/CTV News Atlantic)

Kathy Leger, owner of the Copper Tree Boutique, has been helping collect purses from the community for the last two years.

She says this year, they got more than double the donations than last year.

“Most women carry a purse, a lot of people carry a purse, and it is full of so many random things,” she said. “It could be just a simple chapstick to get your through your day, or it could be your water for the day. It could be your kid’s favourite picture, grandma’s favourite picture, it could be a locket, something special, it could be the rock you found that morning. What’s in that purse means a lot so if suddenly you’re without a purse because of a circumstance, then, you know, that gift would be huge.”

Leger says many people who have dropped off donations bring multiple purses and some even fill them full of donations ahead of time.

“I think as a woman specifically, it is something that whether you’ve had any circumstances in your life that were not so great, we want to look after our sisters,” she said.

Ferris said what’s inside the purses varies each year and even purse to purse is different depending on what’s donated. However, they do all include a grocery store gift card that ranges between $25 and $50 depending on how much is donated that year.

“If you have five of one thing or a dozen of something that you want to donate, you don’t have to come in with a full 30 or 40. Anything you think a woman might like would be totally acceptable to put in a purse,” she said. “It’s just a surprise and a nice thoughtful touch. The women really appreciate it and if you’re a single mom with little kids that are too young to go out there and purchase you your presents, it’s a nice surprise.”

The Copper Tree Boutique accepted purse donations until Wednesday evening, but Autumn House will be accepting donations specifically for their Christmas purses until next Friday.

“Just this morning we had two people drop off a $50 bill, a little cheque, every dollar counts,” said Ferris.

They welcome donations year round since they like to give every client something when they first come in. Ferris says they also have a men’s program where clients will receive a shoebox filled with goodies ahead of Christmas Day. 

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