October 20, 2019
By:
When victims of domestic violence escape their situations, Genesis House provides a safe place to get their lives back on track.
(View Video Below About Genesis House)
Now supporters of the domestic violence shelter in Cookeville are seeking donations through its fifth annual fundraiser, Handbags for Hope, Sunday, Oct. 27, at 1:00 p.m. at 665 Duck Pond Manor in Sparta. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com.
The fundraiser includes handbags for sale, a silent auction, goodie bags for all participants, and wine available from Paris Winery.
More than 75 purses are donated new, and more than 250 lightly-used bags are donated.
Some brands include Vera Bradley, Kate Spade, Tory Burch, and many more. Many purses available for purchase will be stuffed with gift cards and coupons, according to Susan Evans, board member for Genesis House.
The new purses then go on tables at the event for anybody to look at, but nobody can touch them.
“But when we do a countdown, you can grab the purse you want. Now that doesn’t mean there may not be other people who also grabbed that purse. When that happens, we do a bid-off. The highest bidder gets the bag,” said Evans.
There’s also lightly used bags that can be bought immediately without a countdown. Those are the “buy-it-nows”.
Genesis House is a non-profit organization in Cookeville dedicated to offering services for victims of domestic and sexual violence all across the country and within its service area.
Services include a 24-hour hotline, shelter, hospital accompaniment, individual counseling, transitional housing, support groups, advocacy, crisis intervention, community education and outreach, community referrals, and court advocates for nine Tennessee counties (Putnam, White, Smith, Jackson, Overton, DeKalb, Clay, Pickett and Macon).
The Genesis House received a Victims of Crime Act grant last year, which was used to increase the shelter’s capacity from 14 to 21. The shelter often stays at 100% capacity or more throughout the year.
To donate to the Genesis House, visit the website at https://genesishouseinc.com/.
Visit the “Friends of Genesis House” Facebook page for more information.