Moms Spark Nationwide Campaign to Give Thousands of Purses to Mothers in Need for Mother’s Day

Elmhurst, IL – More than 40 Mothers & More chapters in 22 states across the nation have partnered with organizations that help mothers in crisis. Together they are reaching out to their community’s most vulnerable women. Through the act of collecting new and gently used purses for mothers in need, mothers and their communities are not only showing support for these women, they are also giving them a symbol of their own power – a purse.

The group of mothers took this simple idea and turned it into a campaign called Power of a Purse. It is designed to give purses and other items to mothers in need while educating the public about the social and economic factors that put mothers at greater risk for poverty – an issue especially pertinent in today’s economy.

“We believe that a purse is symbolic of a woman’s economic power,” says Tara Brettholtz, project manager for the campaign. “There is power in your purse – to have money of your own control, to provide for your family, and to help you feel put together.”

According to the National Women’s Law Center, 8.5 million of the 12.8 million children living in poverty are being raised in single parent households – 89% of which are headed by women. Yet women still earn only 77% of the income of their male counterparts and as a result, are trying to raise their children on less money.

“We all fall somewhere on a spectrum of risk,” says Brettholtz. “Many of us are fortunate enough to have multiple safety nets that we can rely on in the event of economic catastrophe, but for some women, those nets are just not there. That’s where organizations like Mothers & More and its partners come in, connecting mothers, lending a helping hand and inspiring all mothers to address these potential risks.”

Mothers & More is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers. It is committed to creating a place for mothers to feel a part of a larger community of women who are experiencing the challenges that all mothers face, not only in raising children but also in fulfilling their sense of self and understanding society’s often mistaken assumptions about them. The organization addresses mothers’ needs as individuals and members of society and promotes the value of all the work mothers do.

To learn more about Mothers & More and its Power of a Purse Mother’s Day Campaign, visit www.mothersandmore.org.