How You Can Help with The Purse Project

It takes a community to make the Purse Project possible each year. With over 25 shelters we aim to serve across the Denver metro area, your support helps us reach more women with essential items that provide comfort, dignity, and care.

Ways to Help:

• Drop off supplies, purses, or filled purses at any of our collection locations throughout the Denver metro area (see supply list below and locations listed on this page)
• Attend or donate to the SHE Leads Purse Project Garage Sale (early June)
• Purchase needed items from our Amazon Wish List to help fill purse care packages
• Follow and share the Purse Project on social media to help us reach more people:
  • Facebook @She Leads Group
  • Instagram @She Leads Group
  • LinkedIn @She-Leads-Group
• Request donations from your neighborhood groups (Nextdoor, Facebook groups, etc.)
• Invite others in your networking groups to contribute
• Volunteer at the Pack the Purse Event on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. We need volunteers to help with set-up, packing purses and delivering purses to local shelters.
• Attend our Celebration & Gratitude Event on Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Purse Guidelines:

• Do NOT donate purses with tears, stains, cigarette/perfume odor, broken fasteners/zippers, peeling leather/vinyl. When we receive these, we do not use them and they will be discarded, as we believe the women receiving our purse care packages should have a gently used to new purse.
• Purse needs to be large enough to fit in all the supplies in which we try to fill each purse. (See minimum list of supply fillers below.) An estimated size of purse needed is 9" X 11" with a 3" gusset.
• In an effort to be equitable, designer purses will not be given to unhoused women, as we do not have one for everyone. If designer purses are donated, we will use them for a silent auction to raise money for purse fillers.

Supply Fillers:

Whether you are donating a filled purse, or if you want to donate items in bulk from our Amazon wish list to help fill empty purses, below is the minimum requested supplies for each purse. We accept travel size to full size supplies.

• Shampoo/Shampoo Bar
• Conditioner
• Lotion
• Deodorant
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Dental floss or flossers
• Feminine hygiene items
• Pair of socks
• Bar of soap
• Nail clipper and/or nail file
• Lip balm
• Razor
• Kleenex/tissue
• Comb or hairbrush

Ideas for additional items that are nice to have in purses:

• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• First-aid supplies
• Q-tips
• Tylenol/Ibuprofen/Aspirin
• Cough drops
• Gum
• Gloves
• Hat
• Sewing kit
• Hair ties
• Rain poncho
• Hand and/or foot warmers
• Deck of cards
• Writing pad and pen
• Word search/crossword puzzle books
• Flashlight with batteries
• Perfume or body spray (no glass)
• Something to make a woman feel special (jewelry, makeup, etc.)

Things NOT to include:

• No glass
• Alcohol based mouthwash or cough syrup
• Self-defense items
• Expired non-perishable items
• Nut products
• Matches/lighters
• Supplements/vitamins

Amazon Wish List for bulk items that can be donated.