- April 18, 2024
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The ladies behind this crucial fundraiser are helping to make a difference in their local community.
Held once a year by the United Way’s Women’s Initiative Volusia, the Power of the Purse is a setting for women to come together and pull their resources to make a difference in the community. Last year, the event raised over $34,000 for 14 different local agencies.
In its 12th year, Power of the Purse highlights a few of the agencies it’s helped recently. This year’s speakers include Dixie Morgese, executive director of the Healthy Start Coalition Flagler and Volusia Counties, and Sandy Bishop, board member of Food Brings Hope.
“The concept is for local women to get together this one day for this one lunch and open their purses,” said Sabria Tabaku, president of the United Way’s Women’s Initiative Volusia. “It’s so important for us to give back to the community. This is where we live, raise our kids send time with our spouses, and there are individuals here who need our help.”
Tabaku, who has been involved with the organization for two and a half years, said 80% of their fundraising goes to grants for local agencies to apply for, and 20% goes back to the United Way.
Tabaku said, “Our speakers will be talking about their agencies, and what the Women Initiative has done for them. It’s important for people to really see where their dollars go.”
Dixie Morgese, who has been involved with Healthy Start since 2006, said the Women’s Initiative helped them with their mission of doing universal screenings for pregnant women and infants to foster a healthy pregnancy and infancy. A $5,475 grant made it possible for the organization to help 182 families with gas cards, bus passes and pack and play portable cribs.
“Power of the Purse really fills an important role for us,” Morgese said. “We have families that don’t have adequate transportation to get to important doctor’s appointments or don’t have a safe place for their babies to sleep.”
This year, the historically sold-out event is hosting a VIP Reception where one person will have a chance to win a Tory Burch bag donated by Drs. Fred Costello and Dan Drake.
Drake’s wife, Michelle Drake, is currently Power of the Purse co-chair, and helped her husband’s practice pick out the purse.
“I picked out something that I wanted really bad, but I’m not even eligible to win,” she chuckled. “I’m jealous of who will win it.”
Michelle Drake said she was one of a few members added to the board last year.
“They’ve really revamped the board,” she said. “It’s been around forever, but the board was at a standstill, so they brought in new members that hadn’t been a part of it before. I think one of the biggest changes is moving to Shores. Historically it’s been held at the Hilton, but I feel like the Shores is geared more towards the audience demographic we want to reach. They recently had some renovations, so it’s a younger, sexier hotel.”
Not only does the event impact people in her own backyard of Ormond Beach, but Michelle Drake supports the Power of the Purse because of its overwhelming vibe of girl power.
“It’s cool because it’s one of the few events in town that’s really for women,” she said. “Of course, if my husband or any other guys joined us we wouldn’t kick them out, but it’s nice to enjoy an afternoon away fronm the office that’s also for a really positive cause.”
Tabaku said one common misconception about the Women’s Initiative is that they don’t need any help themselves.
“A lot of people don’t know that we’re open to volunteers,” said Tabuku, who was born and raised in Ormond Beach. “We’re always looking for people to help. I give back because I watched my parents doing that growing up. They were always involved in helping others. If you’re fortunate enough to give back, you do what you can wherever you can. You have to continue to keep it a great place to live.”
The event will be held at 11 a.m. Aug. 7, at the Shores Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach. Visit www.unitedwayvfc.org for more information.
