Purses are more than just accessories when they’re filled with necessities. That’s why Maria Castro created Love Purse.

When the word purse is mentioned, some people may think about name brands. Others may think about fashion accessories. But for Pilsen resident Maria Castro, purses mean love.

Castro is the founder and CEO of Love Purse, a nonprofit born in 2021 that collects purses, fills them with toiletries and a note of inspiration, and then donates them to shelters and safe havens for women in need, who are often escaping dire situations such as domestic violence or human trafficking.

“A lot of times victims leave in the middle of the night with just the clothes on their back, so to be able to come to our shelter and get a purse filled with such wonderful things, some nice journals and inspirational notes is great,” said Jane Ukleja, chief development officer at Guardian Angel Community Services in Joliet, a 126-year-old nonprofit agency that offers a domestic violence program, sexual assault treatment and service center, foster care and transitional living, among other services.

“It’s not just a purse,” Castro said. “In my purse, I carry everything — a rosary, things my grandkids have made me, photos of my mom and dad, things that mean something to me. This (purse) gives them some hope, an inkling of realization that somebody cared enough.

“I never realized the number of women that are trafficked all the time; it wasn’t on my radar,” Castro said. “Now when I hear from shelters that I help that are helping trafficked women, homeless and domestic violence survivors ... I understand the need.”

Castro heard about a spike in domestic violence calls since the pandemic started, a marked increase in people who were locked down with their abusers, many suffering in silence because they are not U.S. citizens and worried about deportation.

That was the impetus for the creation of Love Purse, Castro said. A friend called her about the huge influx of women in need of help. Castro, a regional external affairs manager for Comcast’s Community Investment team for 18 years, leapt into action. She went out and bought one of everything from a list and asked friends to do the same. Then she looked down at the plastic bag with all the contents.

“I thought: How insensitive would that be to say, ‘Here, give these women these plastic bags.’ It could be delivered in a much more beautifully thoughtful way,” she said. “So I ordered purses from Amazon, all under $20 — large, pretty, and started filling them with toiletries, handwritten notes of inspiration, letting them know that they mattered. And that this too shall pass. I thought, ‘They’re gonna feel the love that was put into this purse from me. I know they will.’”

Castro, 66, told her husband the endeavor was producing “a little love purse, one filled with love.” And the name Love Purse stuck.

The campaign has grown solely from word-of-mouth and social media, with the hashtag #lovepurse. People have started reaching out to Castro to help. Friends challenge friends to honor a loved one by giving a love purse in their name to a local safe haven. Women hold parties to collect and gather purses to donate. Real estate agents and Girl Scout troops have participated in the cause. Those who host events become Angel Ambassadors of Love Purse and get a signature Love Purse T-shirt.

The youngest ambassador just celebrated her bat mitzvah. She used the money she received to get purses. Castro said Oprah Winfrey has donated purses to auction at an annual gala. Angel ambassadors have delivered purses to those in need in Ukraine, Canada, Mexico and in 10 states so far. Numerous corporate supporters can be seen on the Love Purse website, as well as testimonials from organizations that have worked with Love Purse.

Only new purses and toiletries are accepted. Gently used purses are donated to Goodwill.

“We just seem to have this momentum,” Castro said. “My goal is to do this in all 50 states, have an angel ambassador in every single state that can help us find a women’s shelter that’s in need.”

And as Love Purse grows, so do the demographics of the recipients. Women in hospitals who are going through chemotherapy are getting purses filled with special deodorants and lotions. Moms who have lost a loved one to violence can get a purse that includes a prayer card and a journal. Castro keeps purses in her car to have them at the ready to give to migrants. She’ll hop out when she sees migrants to give the purses away.

“That’s something near and dear to my heart because my dad was a migrant worker, so I understand the complexity of that and what it means to not have,” Castro said. “I know the need and I see it firsthand now with everybody that’s coming here. As I get (purses) in, I give them out.

“This is what it’s supposed to be ... putting love on the shoulders of women in need, one Love Purse at a time.,” she said. “That’s what is happening. As we evolve, we start giving to women who are just in need ... they don’t have to be homeless or in a trafficking shelter or domestic violence shelter. It could just be a woman who’s going through a horrible time and just needs to be reminded that she matters.”

Dignity, value and respect are all things that Castro hopes a purse carries with it.

Gwendolyn McNutt has been a Love Purse board member since its inception. She said the organization has donated close to 12,000 purses. Castro sees that as close to 12,000 lives affected.

Nicole Sancen, a manager at the Hooters restaurant in Joliet, has collected purses to donate to Love Purse for the past two holiday seasons. This year, she reached out to donate purses filled with full-size toiletries to Guardian Angel Community Services.

Ukleja, of Guardian Angel in Joliet, was at the restaurant the morning of Dec. 19 to receive the purses and transport them to her agency. She said it was a phenomenal, generous donation. Ukleja said her organization, whose domestic violence program just celebrated 40 years in October, always has an updated wish list on its website for essential items that are needed.

“It’s all about women empowerment,” Castro said. “I have three granddaughters, and I’m always telling all of them how strong they are, how beautiful they are and how they’re gonna do great things. Why am I going to say that if I’m not gonna lead by example?

“When women are given this purse, I have to believe that it may have them turn their thought process around, ‘Like OK, I can do this now. I’m going to be OK,’” Castro said. “When these women have to leave everything, they have to start all over again. At least with this purse, they can. And they can start filling it again with the love that they need. My hope and prayer is that it will make a big difference in the life of a woman and one day she will pay it forward.”

drockett@chicagotribune.com