We at Empowered Gifts (EG) want to help liberate disadvantaged and underprivileged women from their shackles of domestic abuse, homelessness, and other socio-economic hardships all through—
The Power of the Purse.
Our one-of-a-kind, Los Angeles-based 501(c)3 nonprofit works through gift donation, financial-literacy education, and skill-based training all with the goal of securing employment. By gifting new and gently loved professional handbags, the initial step into the job force ensures each woman looks, and feels, the part—
Empowering women, one handbag at a time.
Sell your possessions and give to those that need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven that will never fail…
Purses of Heaven that will never wear out or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:33-34
Click below to read about our mission and more about the Empowered Gifts movement.
Empowered Gifts mission is to empower Women and Girls with restored confidence form the shackles of domestic abuse, homelessness, and other socio-economic hardships through gifting handbags\purses and career services resulting in successful job placements and or entrepreneurial partnerships.
Empowered Gifts vision is to project an initiative for women’s empowerment, of gifts-opportunities, wisdom-education and wealth-economic empowerment resulting in rewarding self–fulfillment for those we service.
Empowered Gifts Advocates for
Global humanitarian and entrepreneur, Candy Williams, brings her formidable experience in coaching/mentoring, consulting and financial management to Empowered Gifts (EG); giving women, displaced through domestic abuse, addictions, homelessness, or economic layoffs the means and inspiration to reclaim their lives and careers. Having dedicated herself to helping women recover their liberty and grace, this innovative and determined Trinidadian-American is a powerful and deeply spiritual leader. As EG’s founder, her professional background with Fortune 500 companies speaks volumes, and provides the organization with a solid foundation; holding management and consulting positions in companies such as JP Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citibank, The Walt Disney Company, McDonald’s Corporation, 3D Systems, Estee Lauder Companies and more. Under her leadership, Empowered Gifts has grown from gifting a dozen or so handbags (to empower a small group of women professionally) to a global initiative – providing recommendation and referrals for all aspects of women’s career development.
Ms. Williams honored by Business Life Magazine as “2016 Woman Business Achievers” she continues to exemplify her life as mentioned “no person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.”
— Calvin Coolidge
Williams comes from an prolific family. She credits her grandparents John and Joan Williams who were the pillars for there family, as the source of her entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropist aspirations. Music held a strong presence in the family and thus was the initial form of entrepreneurship. Her grandfather, John “Buddy” Williams a legendary calypso band leader has left a treasure chest of music in the New York Smithsonian. However, she credits her grandmother, Joan Williams as the true influencer of her charter and philanthropic endeavors. Joan a self-taught, career tailor from Trinidad, and the “go to” seamstress for all things fashion inspired her granddaughter to understand and value the importance of fashion in women’s lives, in general, and the unique importance of handbags as a symbol of where we carry our power. Her grandmother was a mentor to many women in her community and was an advocate for social economic justice. Thus, for Williams, there is a deep personal connection to handbags and helping women as inspiration and legacy; proving a fit starting point for founding her organization.
FOUNDER’S PERSONAL MISSION:
To push beyond believe the ideology that a women’s handbag carries power… Holds optimism of wealth… Can revolutionize economic growth in local communities and around the world.
#Employed Women Matter
Interested in joining our team?
To learn more about volunteering or internship opportunities with EG,
please call us at 844-GIFTS-41 (844-443-8741)
or email info@empoweredgifts.org
We appreciate your interest!
To further inspire the recipient of your donation, please place a anonymous handwritten note including one, or all of the following:
Alert Empowered Gifts when and where to pick up your donation and we will come to you with an In-Kind form for your generous taxable donation.
Note: Due to the many requests that Empowered Gifts have received, we accept handbags throughout the year
Where to Deliver Your Donated Handbags
As your heart desires please mail your donated Handbags to the following address:
5050 Sepulveda Blvd.
Suite 327
Sherman Oaks, CA. 91403
Calendar & Events
Monthly Programs
Quarterly Programs
Annual Programs
Teen/ Young Women
Local Community
Global
We Seek To EMPOWER
Empowered Gifts (EG), is a premier Initiative for empowering economically challenged women, through gifting opportunities-Handbags as a source of hope, empowering them to Walk Out of disparity, to Walk In to lives of prosperity as they enter the workforce.
Handbag Gifting
Empowered Gifts was created as a call to action to promote the achievements of disadvantage women entering the workforce. Handbags are given as the initial step in the interviewing process ensuring that each woman looks and feels the part regardless of career choice. Gifts are also given for employment longevity and for transformers of their local communities.
Job Placements(Soon)
2017 will launch an expansion of our services entitled, Empowered Gifts Enterprise (EGE). We will provide jobs (internships and permanent placements) in the greater Los Angeles Metropolitan region. By matching specific skilled workers with clients, saving business time and money, while providing our workers with honesty and a dignified hand-up. Driving optimal levels of success, by engaging high-performance and inciting our workforce into greatness, aligning their talent with the company’s growth. EGTA aspires to provide qualified female staff the means to financial stability, to businesses increased productivity and to the City and State economic resurgence.
EG’s Empowerment Workshops
EG’s workshops are unique and innovative dedicated to inspiring and guiding women to re-connect their skill and to what is expected in the work environment. Through guest speakers, discussions and a variety of other dynamic activities, participants will develop tools to successfully navigate through issues every woman faces with finding and keeping jobs.
WHAT WE DO
Your financial contributions are vital to the woman who want a swift in their lives. Your donations weather a handbag or monetary enables Empowered Gifts to provide gifting opportunities, financial literacy education, and skill based training, for successful employment or entrepreneurial endeavors, which ensures economic empowerment to those we service. Empowered Gifts accepts your generous donations all year around.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Maya Angelou~
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR HELPING US TO EMPOWER OTHERS!
Handbag Donations (2014 - 16)
Handbag Donations (2017)
Handbag Donations (2018)
Happy Clients (Total 2014 - 2018)
“In every day there are 1,440 minutes, that means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact” –Les Brown
WANT TO HELP US FURTHER OUR EMPOWERMENT EFFORTS?
When choosing a purse, I have always focused on the utilitarian aspect. After meeting CEO Candy Williams at the Central Hollywood Neighborhood Council meeting and hearing about Empowered Gifts, I was so impressed with their vision to empower disadvantaged women to escape their conditions by providing them with employment training as well as useful and lovely handbags, which also serve as a symbol of beauty, strength, and independence. For these women, the purse not only holds their leadership tools for a new beginning, but also lifts their confidence to face the future. It was an amazing experience to have Empowered Gifts share their uplifting program with our teachers & staff. As we were honored at Hollywood High School on Teacher Appreciation Day with gifts of new handbags, beauty products and Certificates of Recognition from the City of Los Angeles. With Great Appreciation, Marina Hatfield, Assistant Principal
Marina Hatfield
On behalf of the House of Ruth families we would like to thank you for the handbag gift giveaway on Christmas day. The women loved the bags and have been using them ever since with great joy. It is friends like you that make the holiday season special and memorable.
Again, thank you for your support of House of Ruth. Please know that your generosity is deeply appreciated by those served.
Cynthia Barrios
Los Angeles House Of Ruth
Cynthia Barrios
I Never Understood the Value and Power a Handbag Possessed Until One Wonderful Evening During a Chrysalis Women's Empower Workshop When All Attendees Including Myself Received, Courtesy Candy Williams the CEO of Empowered Gifts.org, a Designer Handbag. To Say it Was a Shock is an Understatement. Before the Handbags Were Given to Us, Candy Asked an Important Question; A Questioned I'd Never Asked Myself. "What Outside of Yourself Empowers You?" I Thought Long and Hard Only to Discover Just My Amethyst Crystal (My Birthstone) and Tigers Eye (for Protection) Against Negativity. But When the Handbags Were Given, the Answer Candy Was Looking For Hit Me; a Handbag and Its Contents.
One Tear, Two Tears, Three Tears and Then More Fell From My Face Onto the Handbag. I Looked at the Tattered and Scuffed Up Bag (as I Called it) I'd Carried Around. Holding Back the Urge to Give a Good Cry, I Instead Decided to Embrace This Experience and Believe I Was Worthy of Having a Brand New Designer Handbag to Accompany My New Found Self Esteem, Self Worth and Value. Never To Looking Back on the Past But Instead Walking Into the Future With My New Handbag Chosen for Me to Brave the World With Confidence and Power.
Thank You Candy Williams, Empowered Gifts.org for My New Found Self and Handbag!
Robin E. W. -- March 2016
Robin Eugenia White
As your heart desires we appreciate your donated Handbags