Purses For A Purpose, Inc

My name is Shayna Rutman and I am the Founder/CEO of Purses For A Purpose Inc. In 2019, my dad showed me a Facebook post of a flyer saying "Have an extra purse? Don't sell it, give it to a homeless woman". This was something we wanted to expand on, so after countless hours of discussing our thoughts and strategies about this idea, Purses For A Purpose came to light. Purses for a Purpose was born to remind all unhoused women of their value and educate the public about the ever-growing homeless crisis by repurposing purses and travel-sized toiletries. We started spreading the word on social media about our organization’s donation requests, and to our surprise, we received a lot of donations and praise!

As our social media marketing grew, so did the opportunity to distribute the full bags. I was born and raised in San Diego, so I partnered with the Street Boutique, a division of Think Dignity in San Diego that also focused on the homeless crisis. Their mission aligned with ours so we joined forces during their free “boutiques” once a month and handed out their free female products in addition to our purse supply. These early experiences and learning opportunities shaped my career trajectory as I am very passionate about alleviating the ever-growing homeless crisis that reminds the women we serve of their societal value.

After blowing up on Tiktok in 2020 following the first purse distribution, the organization got traction and more volunteer interest. We became incorporated in 2021 and established our young all-female volunteer Board of Directors and got to work in our respective cities to fulfill the organization’s mission. Currently, there are five active branches nationwide: San Diego, CA; Washington DC; Columbia County, OR; and New Haven & Waterbury, CT.

Purses For A Purpose deeply thanks you for all your support and eagerness to help us in any way possible.

​If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out!