3 days ago
‘Handbags & Backpacks for Hope' campaign starts in Travis County
Content Warning: This article discusses domestic violence and sexual assault. If you are in distress and need someone to talk to, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text 'Start' to 88788, or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County Sheriff's Office and nonprofit Texas Advocacy Project (TAP) announced their 2025 'Handbags & Backpacks for Hope' campaign at a Monday press conference, during which they will collect bags to put 'life-saving information in the hands of survivors across Texas.'
The campaign will take new bags, specifically purses, tote bags, diaper bags, and backpacks, at drop off points shown below.
TAP's focus is on supporting survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, stalking and human trafficking, according to its mission statement. The nonprofit has been active since the 1980s.
The nonprofit's CEO Heather Bellino said this year's campaign is the first time TAP has tried to merge its Handbags for Hope and Backpacks for Hope campaigns.
'Many years, we'd get more handbags and less backpacks, but we think if the call to action as elevated and louder, then the community will come together and make sure that we are supplying these very important bags to the people who need them the most,' she said.
'This campaign started at the very beginning of my career, and I have seen it grow and blossom, and it means the world to me, because it says that the community is here in support of victims,' Bellino said. 'We're no longer keeping this hidden … we, as a community, are saying this abuse is not acceptable in our backyard.'
Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez and Travis County Precinct 5 Constable Carlos Lopez also spoke at the Monday press conference.
'We make amplifying the voice of victims a high priority here when it comes to domestic violence and abuse … we want to provide them all of the resources and all the help that we can possibly provide them,' Hernandez said. 'Oftentimes, a survivor of abuse doesn't often get out of that situation quickly, but when they do … they're going to grab whatever.'
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'Domestic violence is an epidemic. The Texas Advocacy Project has been so innovative in coming up with ideas on how we can help the victims escape, because many times they don't have ample time to gather everything that they need,' Lopez said. 'Inside the [bag] is pertinent information that they need when they do escape. When we started all this, the children would give the purses to their mothers on Mother's Day.'
Lopez said he believed the campaign could gather at least 5,000 bags.
The campaign ends June 28.
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