Hope House is urging the public to support survivors of domestic violence and financial abuse during The Allstate Foundation Purple Purse® Challenge, which takes place Oct. 2 – 31. The annual campaign coincides with National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, held in October.
The National Network to End Domestic Violence recorded 11,441 unmet requests from domestic violence survivors for services in the United States on September 13, 2017 during their National Census Day. [1] The Purple Purse Challenge provides a critical funding source for domestic violence organizations that increasingly face high demand for their services, even as they operate with limited resources.
Domestic violence affects all communities. In fact, one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime regardless of socio-economic background or ethnicity – more than breast, ovarian and lung cancer combined.
In 99 percent of domestic violence cases, victims will experience financial abuse, which means their abusers will deny them access to money and financial resources they need to break free. Financial abuse is one of the primary reasons domestic violence victims stay in or return to abusive relationships. Without resources of their own, victims are often unable to care for themselves and their families, find employment and housing, or save for the future.
“Hope House is grateful for the support of the community during The Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Challenge because without it we would not be able to provide survivors with the services and resources that they and their children need to begin living a life free from abuse,” said Hope House CEO, MaryAnne Metheny. “The Purple Purse Challenge is such an important fundraising effort. It helps us raise the necessary funds to assist survivors with the resources to be financially stable and rebuild their lives.”
The funds raised during the Purple Purse Challenge will go to assist more than 4,000 women, men and children annually who are affected by domestic violence, by providing them emergency shelter, therapy and support services, and advocacy for living a prosperous life free of abuse.
From October 2016 to September 2017 Hope House answered 5,171 hotline calls, appeared on behalf of or with victims in 5,450 municipal court appearances; 1,596 orders of protection were filed, and 35,108 emergency safe nights were provided for families affected by domestic violence.
To further boost their fundraising efforts, nonprofits will receive a purple purse designed by tennis champion and Purple Purse ambassador, Serena Williams. For every $10 given through the Hope House Purple Purse online platform, donors receive one entry into the raffle for the Serena Williams purse. The winner will be announced on November 2 at 4pm CST.
A kickoff event, Purple is My Signature Color, will be held Wednesday, October 3, 2018 at Summit Grill in Lee’s Summit, 4835 NE Lakewood Way, Lee’s Summit, MO 64064, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.
