Disclosure: I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Allstate Foundation on the Purple Purse campaign. This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own.

Last month I shared with you all that I had been invited by the Allstate Foundation to join their PURSEonal Voices Team to lend my time and voice to raise awareness of issues of domestic violence and financial abuse which affect 1 out of 4 women in the United States. With a static as staggering as that one, and hearing so many women I know recently come out to share their own stories — the way radio and online personality Ana Cruz did during her Storytellers moment at #WeAllGrow Summit (the conference I launched this year) — I knew this was a challenge I was up to.

The symbol of the Allstate Foundation’s crusade to raise awareness and funds to help victims of domestic violence is the Purple Purse. A purse symbolizes a women’s financial independence. It’s what we carry around every day with those items that are needed to either get us through the day, or to make us feel good and empowered. If the Purple Purse is the symbol, the face and, dare I say, soul of this movement for the past two years has been Kerry Washington. Kerry has not only afforded her celebrity status to the movement, but more importantly, her voice, commitment and passion for elevating the stories of victims of domestic and financial abuse and offering them an opportunity to learn and empower themselves to find a way out.

I can say I witnessed Kerry’s commitment to The Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse myself. As part of her role, she’s co-designed this year’s Purple Purse with Dee Ocleppo, handbag designer and married to Tommy Hilfiger, and they jointly unveiled it at an event in New York City. I was incredibly impressed that she stood up to give her talk with no teleprompter or notes and was incredibly flawless at delivering an impactful message. This is when I knew that her role as a spokesperson for The Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse is not just delivering key messages for a cause, but deeply understanding and believing in the mission and the impact she can deliver. She talked about how fashion was not important to her growing up because her mother always drilled in her that school and learning came first. It wasn’t until she had to start attending celebrity events and red carpets that she realized fashion was part of her new status. So she delved into learning all about designers, fashion houses, couture, etc. Because of this vast knowledge she now has of fashion and designers, she felt Tommy Hilfiger would be the right person to approach to help her design this year’s Purple Purse. Tommy loved the idea, but since handbags is what his wife, Dee Ocleppo, specializes in, he put the two of them in contact and what ensued is this beautiful purple clutch which is now sold in Saks Fifth Avenue with 25% of the proceeds benefiting Purple Purse.

Just look at how gorgeous it is!

To get one for yourself or a friend (a great symbolic gift!), visit this link.

And, well, I had to get one of the signed limited-edition (only 100!) Purple Purses that they had available at the event. My new treasure with a meaning.

I really encourage you to visit purplepurse.com today since October is Domestic Violence Abuse Month and they just announced The Allstate Foundation Purple Purse Challenge, a month-long fundraising initiative with over 160 nonprofits to raise awareness and funds for programs supporting victims of domestic violence and financial abuse.

You can also show your support by purchasing one of these beautiful Purple Purse purse charms for $10 and 100% of the proceeds will support more than 160 Purple Purse Challenge nonprofits and the domestic violence survivors they serve. I actually have quite a few that were sent to me and I’d love to send as many as I can out to the first twenty people who tweet me @laflowers with the hashtag #PurplePurse and let me know why raising awareness about domestic violence is important to you. I will RT and send you a DM (you must follow me for that) requesting your info to ship you one of these very special Purple Purse charms so you can clip it to your purse and show your support for all women who need a way out of abuse.

We can do a lot together. Let’s do this.