Women's group carries out 'purse ministry'
By Sarah Powers
posted Dec. 16, 2011
It’s a Wednesday night and one by one women enter the back room of the church to fill purses. The "Purse Ministry," which benefits battered women's shelters and homeless shelters for women, was started in 2009 by women at Sinking Springs United Methodist Church in Bristol, Tenn.
These women take old purses that have been donated or found at yard sales and fill them with specific items. These purses are then given to women living in domestic violence shelters.
“Since most of them came in with the clothes they have on, they had to leave home without any of this stuff. A lot of times they even have to have important documents, like driver’s licenses and social security number cards, reissued to them. And these purses help them in more ways than just the stuff inside,” said Judy Grubb, one of the group's coordinators.
Grubb said what most people don’t realize, these women are not there for a short time and most of them only have what they are wearing. Some of them even show up in their nightwear.
“To these women, the purses mean more than just a gift.”
-Judy Grubb
Since most of the women are not cleared to enter, the purses are brought to the offices of the shelters and then are taken to the women at a later date.
“Unlike the rest of the women from the group, I used to work at some of these shelters,” said Grubb. “So I was cleared to enter them. I have gotten to see first-hand these women getting these purses and there is really nothing like it.”
Grubb said that beside the stuff inside the purse, the purse plays a big part in helping these women.
The shelters help the women inside them more than just giving them a safe haven, they also help them get back on their feet, by helping them find jobs. And so the purses give them a place to put items for or from the interviews, as well as anything else they might get while in the shelter.
This group of women hopes these purses will bring a little light to the ladies who receive them. But they always add one extra item to give it their own special touch.
“The most important item we put into the purses are the little personal Bibles,” said Lidany Rouse, the president of the women’s group.
Each purse receives a Bible that has the New Testament and the Psalms in it.
Rouse said this is done to let those ladies receiving the purses that the Lord loves them and someone is praying for them.
The women’s group currently distributes to five shelters and have distributed up to eight at one time.
“The women’s group is always taking donations,” said Rouse. “If it’s purses or the stuff inside, it’s all welcome.”
If you would like to make a donation of some kind you can send them to Sinking Springs United Methodist Church at 208 V.I. Ranch Rd., Bristol, TN 24270 or contact Lidany Rouse at (276) 669-7325.
Contact Sarah Powers at [email protected]
posted Dec. 16, 2011
It’s a Wednesday night and one by one women enter the back room of the church to fill purses. The "Purse Ministry," which benefits battered women's shelters and homeless shelters for women, was started in 2009 by women at Sinking Springs United Methodist Church in Bristol, Tenn.
These women take old purses that have been donated or found at yard sales and fill them with specific items. These purses are then given to women living in domestic violence shelters.
“Since most of them came in with the clothes they have on, they had to leave home without any of this stuff. A lot of times they even have to have important documents, like driver’s licenses and social security number cards, reissued to them. And these purses help them in more ways than just the stuff inside,” said Judy Grubb, one of the group's coordinators.
Grubb said what most people don’t realize, these women are not there for a short time and most of them only have what they are wearing. Some of them even show up in their nightwear.
“To these women, the purses mean more than just a gift.”
-Judy Grubb
Since most of the women are not cleared to enter, the purses are brought to the offices of the shelters and then are taken to the women at a later date.
“Unlike the rest of the women from the group, I used to work at some of these shelters,” said Grubb. “So I was cleared to enter them. I have gotten to see first-hand these women getting these purses and there is really nothing like it.”
Grubb said that beside the stuff inside the purse, the purse plays a big part in helping these women.
The shelters help the women inside them more than just giving them a safe haven, they also help them get back on their feet, by helping them find jobs. And so the purses give them a place to put items for or from the interviews, as well as anything else they might get while in the shelter.
This group of women hopes these purses will bring a little light to the ladies who receive them. But they always add one extra item to give it their own special touch.
“The most important item we put into the purses are the little personal Bibles,” said Lidany Rouse, the president of the women’s group.
Each purse receives a Bible that has the New Testament and the Psalms in it.
Rouse said this is done to let those ladies receiving the purses that the Lord loves them and someone is praying for them.
The women’s group currently distributes to five shelters and have distributed up to eight at one time.
“The women’s group is always taking donations,” said Rouse. “If it’s purses or the stuff inside, it’s all welcome.”
If you would like to make a donation of some kind you can send them to Sinking Springs United Methodist Church at 208 V.I. Ranch Rd., Bristol, TN 24270 or contact Lidany Rouse at (276) 669-7325.
Contact Sarah Powers at [email protected]
Purse Ministry from Sarah Powers on Vimeo.