Giant Purple Purse Appears Around North Shore

YWCA Evanston/North Shore is proud to participate in The Allstate Foundation’s “Purple Purse Challenge.” This fundraising campaign is designed to ignite public awareness around domestic violence and financial abuse, as well as to raise funds through Crowdrise for our work to end domestic violence. (Why a "Purple Purse?")

From October 2 - October 31, we are competing with hundreds of other organizations to raise the most money through Crowdrise. Allstate provides incentive matches along the way, culminating in a grand prize of $100,000.

You can donate now to help the over 800 women and children each year who depend on the YWCA Evanston/North Shore's domestic violence services.

• Oct. 16-18: Lorraine H. Morton Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Avenue, Evanston. (Note: Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty will proclaim October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Evanston at the City Council meeting on Monday, October 16 at 7:00 p.m.)
• Oct. 23-25: North Shore Community Bank (Wintrust), 576 Lincoln Avenue, Winnetka
• Oct. 26-29: Krier Plaza, Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street, Skokie
• Oct. 30-31: YWCA Evanston/North Shore, 1215 Church Street, Evanston

Here's what you can do right now:

• Donate here. Every gift makes a difference to the survivors of domestic violence we serve.
• Follow the giant Purple Purse and post your picture with it to help get the word out! Hashtag #ywcaevanston #purplepurse #endDV
• Follow the Purple Purse campaign on Facebook, Twitter (@ywcaevanston) and Instagram (YWCA_evanstonnorthshore)

What happens to the funds raised through the Challenge?

Last year, the donations to the YWCA Evanston/North Shore :

• Enabled it to open a new longer term housing for DV survivors
• Provided crisis intervention, emergency shelter, legal assistance, and counseling to the 800 women and children we serve each year
• Expanded violence prevention program for youth to include Erin's Law

This year, the funds we raise will help:

• Increase workforce training and housing assistance for domestic violence survivors
• Expand financial literacy education for survivors to include one-on-one coaching
• Launch a new initiative to engage more men as participants in the work to end violence against women

Why a Purple Purse?

The primary reason domestic violence survivors remain in or return to an abusive relationship is because they don’t have the financial resources to break free and stay free. That’s why the Purple Purse program was created – to raise public awareness about domestic violence and financial abuse, and get people talking about the issue.

The purple purse is symbolic because purple is the color of domestic violence awareness and a purse represents a woman’s financial domain. For the past two years, purple purses filled with domestic violence information have been passed in local communities and online to help raise awareness and funding for financial empowerment services for survivors. Based on the success of Purple Purse, The Allstate Foundation is growing the program to include more communities and organizations in the campaign to end domestic violence through financial safety and security.

» via the YWCA Evanston/North Shore

_{Top photo: YWCA Evanston/North Shore President and CEO Karen Singer poses with the giant purple purse.}