Fashion and fundraising all in the handbag

Any woman knows that a handbag is more than just a bag.

It needs to be big enough to hold all the essentials but light enough to physically carry. It needs to be functional but be a bit stylish too. It gets bonus points if purchasing it raises money for a good cause.

That is the case with two limited edition bags from Handbags with Heart that are available in time for Mother’s Day.

Handbags with Heart is a new initiative of Share the Dignity, a charity aimed to provide sanitary pads and tampons to women in need.

Many of you will have already heard of Share the Dignity. Founder Rochelle Courtenay said never in her wildest dreams would she have expected that 18 months on from a simple idea that over 420,000 pads and tampons would have been distributed to women in need.

Share the Dignity started with a sanitary drive, such as the one currently running during the month of April. The ongoing nature of a woman’s period means that each year this supply is exhausted and Share the Dignity relies on donations during their April and August #dignitydrive to continue the supply of products to homeless women. Collection points are HERE. “From a simple concept of sharing dignity with other women, our charity ‘Share the Dignity’ has grown to become a national not for profit, with over 1,100 volunteers Australia wide,” Rochelle said.

Another popular campaign #itsinthebag  was created to collect used and new handbags, filled with essential items and something special for women at Christmas, to remind them that they are important, cared for and not alone. That campaign, run annually in the last two weeks of November, is now one of the most popular initiatives, with 90,000 bags collected in 2016.

In fact, the Handbags with Heart range has been named after remarkable women that #itsinthebag gifts have helped.

The Jane was named after a courageous woman who left an abusive home with her two young boys and her car and ended up in a domestic violence refuge on Christmas Day 2015. Rochelle said when Jane was given an #itsinthebag, she was overwhelmed with emotion at the thought that someone she didn’t know had given her a gift. After opening her bag she cried again at the kindness that was shown, everything was there that she would never have thought she would be without, like a toothbrush and toothpaste, along with shampoo and conditioner a lovely scarf. It was all too much for Jane and she was crying with gratitude. It was when Jane checked the pocket of the bag and found a $20 Rockmans voucher that she again broke down. When Jane ensured her boys got back to a new school, Jane took herself to the Rockmans sale and bought herself a new dress. Jane felt a million dollars in that dress – so good that she applied for a job, wore the dress to the interview, and got the job. ​

The Paula was named after a lady they helped who is one of the ten percent of Australian women who suffer from endometriosis. For Paula, the condition is debilitating. Her symptoms are so bad she can’t work or even leave the house without assistance four weeks out of five. Every spare cent Paula has is spent on sanitary products and trying to manage her condition. When they gave her a bag filled with toiletries, Rochelle said she cried to see that she finally had the bare necessities she needed – she had not had shampoo or conditioner in months.The generosity of the gift made her cry and more importantly made her feel valued and proud of herself for the first time in years. 

All proceeds from the bags will go to the various programs offered by Share the Dignity, including the purchase of Dignity vending machines to be placed in public bathrooms and poverty stricken schools.

For Share the Dignity, their biggest monetary campaign happens next month. DigniTea, is a high tea event involving inspirational guest speakers is run annually in May each year. Held on World Menstruation Day, May 28, some of the events are already sold out.

Have you taken part in any of Share the Dignity’s events?