August 2012 Sweet Success

I am thrilled to report we successfully completed the August 2012 Heavenly Handbags Give. We handcrafted 10 chic handbags, stuffed each handbag with Life Essentials, and they were distributed to women staying at the Durango Community Homeless and Southwest Safehouse. I am not photographer, but I tried my hand at creatively photographing the Heavenly Handbags - it was a chic country occasion.

 

August is always a celebratory month for Heavenly Handbags because we successfully hosted out first Give in August 2010. This means that we have been giving Heavenly Handbags to the women we serve for two years. Thank you to the women who continually pray, support, and give to Heavenly Handbags, you are part of the success. We have successfully donated over 165 stuffed Heavenly Handbags in the last two years. That is incredibly inspiring! Thank you!!

 

They say a picture says 1,000 words, so I hope you enjoy my armature photo shoot and reflect on the amazing success of the last two year.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Inspired?  Click "Join this Site"  to get regular updates and learn how we give to underserved women in the community of Durango. 

Christmas Morning

This is an end to an eight week journey(+)!  Reflecting on what we have established in "HOW" we accomplish this ministry and the "SUCCESS" of Heavenly Handbags has allowed me to personally understand and grasp the magnitude of what we have accomplished in two years.  Although there are numerous success stories left to share, I want to focus on one unique annual Give - December. 

Christmas is a great time of year, a festive and celebratory season.  In the month of December we ensure every woman staying at the Durango Community Homeless Shelter and the Southwest Safehouse receives a Heavenly Handbag.  That entails sewing and stuffing thirty (30) Heavenly Handbags.  This is no small task, and yet in the two years we have hosted this December Give we have successfully achieved this goal.   

It is my desire that each woman receives a Heavenly Handbag on Christmas morning, a special gift specifically for them.  I have no idea what these women staying at the shelter are thinking or feeling, but I would venture to guess in this festive time of year they are overwhelmed by their current circumstances and lack the joy that most of us feel during this season.  I know there is some assumptions made in that statement, so please do not take it as fact, but just consider your state of mind if you were in similar circumstances.  That is why the gift of a Heavenly Handbag is important to me, in hopes it will bring some joy. 

December 2011

December 2012

December 2012

The feeling of receiving a special gift makes my heart smile and joy enters in, and I pray every year that this is what YOUR gift of a Heavenly Handbag does for these women.  I have learned in the two years we have been donating Heavenly Handbags that a little thoughtful gesture goes a long way.  Although I cannot capture their expression on Christmas morning, I would venture to guess a smile sweeps across their face knowing that there is a Community who Cares!

Thank you for following me on this journey.  I hope you have learned a bit more about HOW and WHY we do what we do.  Please follow this Blog as I will continue to post more regularly.  We look forward to donating more Heavenly Handbags in the future and hope you will consider getting involved.        

Power of Community

I have mentioned the Community who Cares in previous posts, but Heavenly Handbags would be nothing without the support of this growing community.  That is why I want take a moment and acknowledge the immense success in Community. 

This community, this generous and caring group of women significantly contributes to the success of this ministry.  The Community who Cares consists of women and men throughout La Plata County who donate their time, talents, and resources to stuff each Heavenly Handbag.  It is in the following facts that the generosity of this community is revealed:

1.  There have been over 100 women who have contributed to Heavenly Handbags, donating the necessary Life Essentials, sewing Heavenly Handbags, or giving their time to support our different efforts

2.  Due to the generous hearts of the Community who Cares we have donated over 165 Heavenly Handbags since August 2010...

3.  That means that 2,805 Life Essentials have been donated

4.  Not to mention, that 330 yards of fabric were provided to create each handcrafted handbag

5.  Finally, we have partnered with multiple businesses and organizations in the area who have helped to complete a Heavenly Handbags Give

In my opinion that is COMMUNITY!  There are different women and people, from different walks of life contributing to one  common goal - to love and encourage women in their community.  It is my joy to work, talk, laugh, collaborate, and plan with each person who has contributed to Heavenly Handbags.  I do not know how to express my sincere gratitude, as thank you does not seem good enough.  Please know that in your giving you are planting seeds of hope for each woman who receives a Heavenly Handbag. 

Soon after we started giving Heavenly Handbags to the Durango Community Homeless Shelter and the Southwest Safehouse, I received a thank you letter from the staff, which stated the following from one of the women who received a Heavenly Handbag:

"I've never felt this good about myself, it really helps  knowing that people in this community care about me."

This why we do what we do, Thank You to the growing Community who Cares!

Heavenly Encouragement in Distant Places

This is a sweet story about women encouraging other women in distant places.  In June 2011 we donated 10 Heavenly Handbags to different recipients.  We conducted our usual bi-monthly Give, stuffing ten handcrafted Heavenly Handbags.  However, these handbags where delivered to widows in Guatemala, brave and courageous women raising their family with no home to call their own. 

We partnered with Mission Outfitter who took a mission team to Guatemala to build homes for widows.  We brought some of our handcrafted handbags and stuffed each handbag with hot pads, wood spoons, soaps, towels, and more items to say "Welcome Home."  At the end of the construction the team would bow their heads pray for the new home, the future of the widow's family, and then deliver each Heavenly Handbag.  It was truly a touching moment!

Heavenly Handbags ready for delivery to the 10 widows

I had the immense privilege to pray over a widow's new home and her beautiful boys, and personally deliver a Heavenly Handbag.  A moment I will truly never forget.  Even now tears stream down my face as I reflect back on that moment.  It is in these moments of reflection that I know and understand that God is in the midst of this ministry, creating unique opportunities such as this to encourage different women in need. 

Delivery of a Heavenly Handbag

Praying as a united team for the widow and her family

While on this mission trip I purchased 10 crocheted handbags from another widow.  Each handbag is lovingly crocheted to pay her her children's education.  The handbags provided 4.5 months of schooling for two of her children.  Once back in Durango we used these crocheted handbags to stuff and donate to homeless and abused women here in Durango for our next Give.  Cool, right?  

Crocheted handbags by a widow in Guatemala & delivered to homeless and abused women here in Durango

Ready for Delivery