ROCKLAND — Last year, Rockland resident Sharon Hobson, and Rhonda Nordstrom, owner of RHEAL day spa, came up with the idea to locally collect donated purses filled with sanitary items such as pads and tampons as well as comfort items such as shampoo, body creams, etc. They gave the purses away to homeless women and women at risk in the Midcoast, and their delight, more than 190 filled purses were donated last year — all making their way to New Hope For Women and The Hospitality House.

For the second year, RHEAL Day Spa its Midcoast version of The Purse Project. And rather than wait until December like last year, the spa began collecting the items on Oct. 17.

The whole idea behind this movement was to assist homeless women with sanitary items and personal care supplies as it’s hard enough to go through traumatic life changes without having access to items to keep clean. We started with asking people to provide donated purses filled with sanitary items and then build from there,” said Nordstrom.

The idea has caught on and more women are not just donating purses and bags but also buying new purses filled with items geared toward emotional comfort.  Some of the purses resting on the display area inside the RHEAL day spa are filled with high-end cosmetics and brands such as body wash from Herbal Essence.

“This one woman came in donating four purses, each wrapped in a warm scarf, which is her own personal fashion signature,” said Nordstrom.

Stephanie Primm, executive director of the Knox County Homeless Coalition/Hospitality House, explained how much women helping other women means to one of their clients.

“A vast majority of our families come from a generational poverty scenario, with long histories of low education levels, domestic violence, abuse, addiction and other challenges,” she said. “Many have lost hope, or simply have forgotten what it's like to feel joy, or that inner sense of being excited by something beautiful or comforting. Because they are in 'survival' mode when they reach our doorstep and are generally in trauma, kindness, respect, dignity and caring are the primary focus in all we do.”

“The Purse Project has had a profound effect on our clients. The way these beautiful gifts are created, with care and individuality, it makes them feel special, makes them feel cared about, and gives them something beautiful, often for the first time in years or decades,” said Primm.

Kristi Braun, development director of New Hope For Women had a story to share. “Last year, after receiving a delivery of purses via the Purse Project, one of our advocates at New Hope for Women started working with a mother of two who had just lost her home, due to it being condemned. A victim of verbal and physical abuse for years, the woman finally mustered the courage to call 911, and was connected with our advocate when the police gave her our hotline number. She was emotionally devastated, physically bruised and financially destroyed.

“After hearing the woman’s story, our advocate excused herself from their meeting and quickly picked a purse that she thought fit the woman’s personality. When the advocate returned and handed the purse to the woman, and explained what the Purse Project was, the woman started to cry and thanked her profusely. She said that she truly appreciated the thoughtfulness that went into it and hoped that one day she could return the favor,” said Braun.

“In addition to the actual purse and the contents inside, a Purse Project purse can also provide a much-needed boost in morale and self-esteem for a client who is going through a particularly challenging time. We often hear from our clients that just knowing someone cares means so much to them,” she said.

The co-founder of the project, Sharon Hobson, has gone a step further and brought packs of 20 sanitary items like tampons and pads to the AIO Food Pantry in Rockland.

“Studies have been done [showing] that women having their menstrual cycle need about 20 sanitary items, so we’ve put together these packs for any woman who is also looking for food assistance,” said Nordstrom. “Our next phase will be a toilet paper giveaway since the food pantry can only give one toilet paper roll per family once a month.”

To donate to The Purse Project, fill a bag or purse with feminine hygiene products, necessities and niceties (excluding non-perishable food items) and drop your bags at RHEAL Day Spa, 453 Main St. in Rockland, before Oct. 29, after which they will be given away. FMI: Call 207-594-5077.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com