The Rotary Club of Ajax has teamed up with Fill a Purse for a Sister to collect 100 purses for local shelters serving women fleeing intimate partner violence. The campaign runs from September 1 to December 1, 2026, and residents can donate new or gently used purses filled with personal care items.
Donors are asked to include essentials like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, tampons or pads, and deodorant. Monetary donations are also welcome. Anyone interested in donating a purse or volunteering can contact the Rotary Club of Ajax for details.
Fill a Purse for a Sister is a registered Canadian charity founded by Angel Freedman in 2014. What started in her living room with a Facebook post has grown into a national campaign that has collected 85,000 purses so far. Freedman, a child survivor of domestic violence and social worker, was inspired by a similar initiative in Texas.
The need is urgent. Ontario Provincial Police reported an 18.1 percent increase in intimate partner violence reports in 2024, with 6,289 victims compared to 5,326 in 2023. More than 17,000 women and children use Ontario’s 70 shelters every year, according to the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses.
“Often a woman arrives at a shelter with nothing — no money, no luggage and no resources,” the Rotary Club of Ajax notes. A purse filled with personal necessities offers comfort, hope, and dignity during a crisis.
The Rotary Club of Ajax has served the community for 75 years, raising and donating more than $1 million to local and international charities. This campaign is its latest effort to support vulnerable residents in Durham Region.
