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How to Support the Texas Advocacy Project’s Handbag Drive for Domestic Abuse Survivors

Through June 30, the organization is collecting new handbags, totes, diaper bags and backpacks, each tagged with a confidential legal hotline and free resources for survivors across Texas

Handbags & Backpacks for Hope – Law Firm Partner
The Texas Advocacy Project's bag drive runs through June 30, accepting new handbags, totes, diaper bags and backpacks for survivors of domestic abuse statewide. (Photo courtesy of TAP)

Through June 30, 2026, the Texas Advocacy Project is turning an everyday bag into something that could change a life — collecting new handbags, totes, diaper bags and backpacks for survivors of domestic abuse across Texas. Each donated bag carries a discreet tag printed with TAP’s confidential Legal Line — 800.374.HOPE — and a QR code linking to free legal and social services. The bags are distributed to shelters, clinics and crisis centers statewide, turning an everyday item into a direct line to safety and support.

Each bag collected through June 30 will be distributed to shelters, clinics and crisis centers across Texas. (Photo
Each bag collected through June 30 will be distributed to shelters, clinics and crisis centers across Texas. (Photo courtesy of TAP)

A bag that carries hope

Since 2008, TAP has handed survivors more than just the essentials. A handbag offers a discreet way to carry legal resources and a diaper bag reaches new and expectant parents, who face a heightened risk of abuse. A backpack gives a child in a shelter a sense of normalcy and a fresh start with school supplies inside.

This year, two longstanding efforts — Handbags for Hope and Backpacks for Hope — have merged into a single initiative. The combined campaign extends TAP’s reach to survivors of every age: someone leaving a hospital after an assault, a parent preparing for a baby or a child starting over at a new school.

Travis County Sheriff’s Office serves as a collection site for the Texas Advocacy Project’s bag drive through June 30.
Travis County Sheriff’s Office serves as a collection site for the Texas Advocacy Project’s bag drive through June 30. (Photo courtesy of Kristen Dark, Senior Public Information Officer at TCSO)

How to get involved before June 30

There are several ways to support the campaign before donations close on June 30. Drop a new handbag, diaper bag, tote or backpack at an official public drop-off location. Donations can be amplified by snapping a quick photo at a drop-off location and tagging @texasadvocacyproject on social media. For those outside of Central Texas, email hope@texasadvocacyproject.org to arrange a shipment. Another way to get involved is to volunteer to prepare bags for shipment by attaching the discreet Legal Line tag to each one. Tentative volunteer days run June 28–July 3 and July 6–15. For those unable to volunteer their time, general donations are always appreciated and help cover shipping and fulfillment costs.

Every bag connects a Texas survivor and their family to critical resources, free legal services and a reminder that they are not alone.

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