The Midtown Fill-A-Purse-For-A-Sister Campaign is nearing the end of its three-month push to obtain and fill purses for women in need. As the December 1 deadline approaches, three members of the group with children helping were busy in the Davisville home of Karen Siddiqi filling purses and bags. They estimate there may be more than 400 purses to be shared with those at places like the Red Door Shelter and Eva’s Place For Teens. Last year the total was about 80. But this year, for example, group member Susan Scandiffio has some 200 purses in her basement alone. Much interest came from a post by Elizabeth Wilson to the employee intra net at CIBC headquarters downtown. That initiative produced 100 purses all filled. Fill A Purse For A Sister was created by Markham social worker Angel Freedman in 2015. The Midtown group was inspired by Ms. Siddiqi who learned of Freedman’s work via social media and then started the Midtown Fill A Purse Facebook page.
MANY ARE HELPING
The spirit of Fill A Purse touched two students from Bishop Strachan School. They are Kyra Hillier and Charlotte Tilley. They sorted and filled purses and Kyra made a direct request to Shoppers Drug Mart and the Shandex Group to make a donation of items for the campaign. These firms came through, helping to fill more purses. It is a triumph of decency and goodwill like others seen across the community. One can only imagine how much such purses full of life’s necessities and needs — toiletries, socks, gloves, scarves, lipstick and so on — mean to women who have essentially nothing.
