Shop, Snack, Sip and Help the Homeless at “Hope in Handbags” September 11-12

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Harford Family House Logo

 

Purse donations and sponsors sought for seventh annual fundraiser
to benefit Harford Family House.

[Bel Air, MD] August 6, 2015— The community is invited to shop, snack and sip for a cause at the seventh annual Hope in Handbags event September 11-12, 2015 at the Bel Air Armory (37 N. Main St., Bel Air, Md.). Attendees can bid on new designer bags and other items, plus shop a selection of never used or gently used handbags being sold for a fraction of their retail cost, all while enjoying refreshments, entertainment and other activities provided by local vendors. The event is sponsored by Saxon’s Diamond Centers and all proceeds will benefit Harford Family House, the local non-profit organization dedicated to supporting homeless families with children in Harford County.

 

Follow the “Saga of the Traveling Purse,” a Facebook selfie campaign featuring local celebrities like Kristy Breslin of WJZ-TV; Kimmie Meissner, Olympic skating champion; and Debi Glassman, wife of County Executive Barry Glassman to the events’ kick-off Friday, September 11, with an exclusive preview of the best designer bags starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Bel Air Armory. For a donation of $10, attendees get the first chance to shop for designer handbags and win door prizes while enjoying complimentary hors d’oeuvres, a wine tasting and more. On Saturday, September 12, doors at the Armory will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free.

 

Local celebrity Tammy Ehrbaker, owner of NVS Salon, snapped a selfie of her visit to Ripken Stadium with the Traveling Purse. PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Burns
Local celebrity Tammy Ehrbaker, owner of NVS Salon, snapped a selfie of her visit to Ripken Stadium with the Traveling Purse.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kelly Burns

In addition to the auction and purchases, attendees can support Harford Family House and take a chance to win a “Year of Purses,” four new designer purses and a wallet donated by Saxon’s XO store. Raffle tickets will be on sale before and during the event for these prizes, valued at $1,500.

 

Last year more than $18,000 was raised for Harford Family House as shoppers perused and chose from more than 1,000 donated purses, including popular brands such as Coach, Dooney and Bourke and Vera Bradley. Some items were valued at up to $1,000.00 each, but pricing for some was as low as $1.00. All bags are donated by local stores, celebrities and sponsors, and some come stuffed with goodies and are available via silent auction. All silent auction items also have a “Buy It Now” price, in case attendees see a purse they cannot live without.
Saxon’s Diamond Center is once again the title sponsor for this year’s Hope in Handbags, and Harford Family House is actively seeking other sponsors to join Saxon’s with financial donations, donations of purses and other items to stuff the auction purses.

 

Harford Family House Executive Director/CEO Joyce Duffy says, “Hope in Handbags is such a fun girls’ night out and it offers attendees great deals on purses, bags and other items. But the event is also one of our most important fundraisers of the year. It costs just $25 to provide a single night of housing to a parent or child in need, so it’s easy to see the impact that funds raised from this event will have on helping the  homeless in our community.”

 

For more information on sponsorship or for details about where to drop off your donated handbags, visit the event website at www.hopeinhandbags.com.

 

About Harford Family House (http://www.harfordfamilyhouse.org/)

 

Harford Family House is the largest provider of transitional housing for homeless families with children in Harford County.  Other programs include Emergency Shelter for families and HUD Supportive Housing for homeless families where one family member has a disability.  Clients are provided with a fully furnished apartment or house and receive case management services and referrals to partner agencies to move them from homelessness and hopelessness to hope and independence.

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