Prior Grant Requests
Organization Name: Hopefull Handbags
Organization Website: https://hopefullhandbags.org/
Year Established: 2017Â
Mission Statement:
Hopefull Handbags Global is a Florida-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit in its Ninth Year that walks alongside survivors of domestic abuse and their children at the most vulnerable moment of their lives after they have found the courage to leave, but before stability has been restored. Although the abuser may no longer be physically present, many survivors and children continue to live in fear, as control often persists through financial, psychological, and emotional manipulation long after separation.
Some survivors remain in homes the abuser has left behind, homes frequently left in financial and physical disrepair, with unpaid utilities, empty pantries, damaged living spaces, and no sense of safety. Others are forced to leave entirely with little more than their children and the clothes they are wearing after shelters, family, and friends have exhausted their ability to help. In both circumstances, survivors are often still navigating ongoing attempts at control, intimidation, and destabilization, while children experience abrupt loss of routine, security, and normalcy.
Hopefull Handbags begins by restoring baseline stability, a safe place to live, food on the table, utilities that function, and transportation so parents can work, attend court and medical appointments, and ensure their children can consistently attend school. Transportation assistance, including Lyft and Uber ride credits, is often essential, as many survivors are left without access to a vehicle and face ongoing barriers created by financial and emotional abuse.
Children impacted by domestic abuse often continue to experience fear, instability, and emotional stress long after the abusive situation has ended. Disrupted housing, food insecurity, lack of transportation, and ongoing psychological and emotional manipulation can affect their ability to sleep, concentrate, attend school consistently, and feel safe in their daily lives. Hopefull Handbags prioritizes restoring stability for children by ensuring access to safe housing, reliable utilities, consistent meals, and dependable transportation to school and essential appointments. As stability is re-established, children benefit from restored routines, uninterrupted education, and a calmer home environment in which caregivers are supported and no longer operating in crisis mode. Over time, this consistency helps children regain a sense of safety, emotional security, and normalcy, laying the foundation for healthier development, academic success, and long-term wellbeing.
Once stability is established, families enter our SHINE and NEW programs, where survivors receive individualized, long-term support over an 18–24 month period. Through trauma-informed case management, survivors rebuild routines, confidence, and independence while learning to navigate employment, education, and financial decision-making in an environment that prioritizes safety and empowerment. Children benefit from restored routines, stable school attendance, emotional security, and a caregiver who is supported in moving out of survival mode and into sustainable stability.
At the core of this work is Hopefull Handbags’ proprietary budgeting system, which helps survivors and their children regain financial clarity and control, often for the first time. By replacing survival-based decisions with practical, forward-looking planning, families are better equipped to resist ongoing manipulation and build independent, stable lives.
The goal of Hopefull Handbags is not temporary relief, but lasting change. By walking hand-in-hand with survivors and their children through fear, instability, and rebuilding, we help families move from chaos to calm, from survival to stability, and ultimately to independence grounded in dignity, safety, and hope.
Contact Name: Cathlene Miner Years in Position: Founder/ CEO
Contact Email: info@hopefullhandbags.org
Contact Phone: 904-383-7158
Address: 3501 N PONCE DE LEON BLVD #277
St Augustine, Florida 32084-1400
Have you previously received a grant? No If yes, please indicate the year(s): Â
How did you hear about our organization?
We located you through Grantwatch.com.
What do you believe we can provide your organization?
The Women’s Giving Circle can provide Hopefull Handbags with critical partnership and visibility. Your support allows us to continue offering The SHINE and NEW programs to survivors and their children of domestic abuse. “By supporting Hopefull Handbags, the Women’s Giving Circle strengthens its mission of lifting women and children through direct, transformative programs like The SHINE and NEW.
Additionally, you will have opportunities to engage directly with our programs, seeing firsthand the transformative impact your support creates in the lives of survivors and their children.
What will the grant be used for?
Hopefull Handbags seeks project support for its Survivor Stabilization & Long-Term Independence Program.
Grant funds will be used flexibly to address the most immediate and impactful needs of survivors and their children, including housing stabilization, utilities, food security, transportation, case management, and financial education.
Project Description (SHINE and NEW Programs)
a. Primary Purpose & Need
To restore baseline stability and prevent repeated crises for survivors and children transitioning out of abusive environments.
b. Population Served
Survivors of domestic abuse and their children across Florida.
c. Strategies
Housing and utility stabilization
Daily One-on-One Mentoring
Food and essential needs support
Transportation assistance (including Lyft and Uber ride credits)
Case management through SHINE and NEW
Financial education via proprietary budgeting system
d. Staffing Pattern
The program is directed by the Founder/Executive Director/ Domestic Abuse Advocates and volunteer program leaders and board oversight.
e. Anticipated Length
Ongoing; each family receives support for approximately 18–24 months.
f. Contribution to Mission
This program directly fulfills Hopefull Handbags’ mission to move families from crisis to stability and from stability to financial independence.
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Provide the grant amount you are seeking: $10,000.00
Do you provide services to Sarasota and/or Manatee County? Yes
What is the financial impact per individual/program this grant will provide?
The requested $10,000 support from the Women’s Giving Circle will directly benefit two survivors, equating to $5,000 per individual.
Each survivor will receive personalized, one-on-one mentoring through Hopefull Handbags’ SHINE and NEW programs, including job readiness training, confidence and self-perception development, and essential resources to rebuild safe, stable, and independent lives.
This support reflects the power of women helping women creating a ripple effect of strength, healing, and empowerment. Each $5,000 contribution ensures that survivors receive high-impact, individualized guidance that fosters long-term financial stability, renewed self-worth, and the tools needed for a confident, healthy future.
Please provide the estimated number of women, children and families impacted.
2 survivors and 4 children
Is there a matching grant? No If yes, indicate donation source:
May we tour your facility? Yes
What reciprocal benefit can you provide our organization:
For any survivor and children directly supported through this funding, a portion of their story will be shared on our HH socials (with full respect for privacy), including acknowledgment such as:
Women’s Giving Circle
•Website Feature and Backlink
Women’s Giving Circle will be featured on the Hopefull Handbags Global website as a valued partner
•Social Media Recognition, tags and Mentions for Sisterhood for Good will be highlighted across Hopefull Handbags Global social media platforms
Proof of Non-Profit Status https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/HH-501c3-Determination-Letter.pdf
Organization’s Logo https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/HH-Logo-1-150×150.jpg [110 show_image=1]
Project/Program-specific budget: https://tlcwcf.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/15/1-Year-SHINE-and-NEW-Program-WGC-1.pdf
Guide Star Profile/Rating (if applicable):
Anything else you would like to share with us?
Our Self-Perception Work is a cornerstone of Hopefull Handbags’ approach, designed to help survivors of domestic abuse rebuild their sense of identity, confidence, and self-worth. Through guided exercises, mentoring, and reflective activities, survivors learn to recognize their strengths, set healthy boundaries, and reframe negative beliefs about themselves. This program addresses the emotional and psychological barriers that often hold survivors back, equipping them with the tools to make empowered choices, pursue education or employment opportunities, and establish safe, stable lives. By focusing on self-perception, we help survivors not only navigate the immediate aftermath of a crisis but also develop resilience and the confidence to thrive independently over the long term.