Automne Bennett and Indra Owens were hoping
to help 600 of the area’s women in need.
But an outpouring of support has them easily exceeding that number as their Princess Inc. prepares to hand out purses filled with essentials to any women in need this weekend.
They have more than 850 purses that will be filled and 120 wallets, Owens said Monday.
Th #PackYourPurse event will run from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Tanger Outlets The Walk in Atlantic City.
With the leadership of Donna Danielson, Tanger is now an integral part of the project, as one of the primary drop-off locations for donations.
Bennett and Owens have done several events to help benefit the community, and teach the city’s girls how to become good women.
This time, they decided to focus on woman in need, and asked for donations of new or gently used purses, along with necessities every woman needs.
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They received more than 1,000 toiletries and cosmetics, which the duo says is enough not only to distribute through the city’s female homeless population, but also for local support agencies like John Brooks Recovery Center, the Covenant House and the Women’s Center of Linwood.
They also will be going to every senior citizen building and complex in Atlantic City and ship at least 100 purses to Atlanta, where Princess Inc. will soon have a second home.
“The whole community got involved,” Owens said. “The women really showed up for this one. It’s beautiful.”
Those who helped in addition to Tanger include both the Atlantic City and Galloway Township Starbucks, Shamara Archie for AtlantiCare, Lesette Nikki Jackson at Harrah’s and Caesar’s Entertainment, Cookie Till of Steve & Cookies By the Bay, the women’s ministry of Second Baptist Church, Cooper Levenson and Cape Regional Medical Center.
It even sparked Owens to form a new hashtag, #thefutureisfemale.
The purses will be packed and distributed Saturday from Suite 150A located between Aeropostale and American Eagle.
They will also be distributed at Turning Point Homeless Day Center, the Covenant House, Atlantic City Bus Terminal, John Brooks Recovery Center, The Women’s Center in Linwood and other designated areas.
To learn more about Princess Inc. visit the
Princess Inc. website.
