Traveling Heart Initiative
Give a Bag ( and a postcard) and Give Love
A symbol of solidarity
The Traveling Heart Initiative provides unique hospital bags for survivors of sexual assault and is a symbol of solidarity carried around the nation. Hospital bags provide necessary clothing and information to survivors and each bag contains a handmade message of hope through a Traveling Postcard that is placed in every bag.
Add your voice to this growing movement of solidarity with survivors of sexual assault. Donate a bag to a survivor and get one for yourself or a friend at the same time!
Our hospital bags and postcards are free to participating aid agencies.
In the US a woman is sexually assaulted every 2 minutes. After an attack, a survivor often goes through a sexual assault forensic exam or 'rape kit' in order to help prosecute an attacker. This is a battery of tests and information collecting that is necessary but invasive. Sometimes she cannot shower, use the restroom, comb her hair, or change her clothes for up to four hours. Fortunately, advocates from rape crisis centers across the US are on hand to help these survivors through the ordeal and can sometimes provide a small, plastic bag with information and clean clothing. This is called a Hospital Bag.
We have learned that only 1-4 rape crises centers can afford to distribute 'hospital bags'. Typically generic in scope and usually plastic, these hospital bags are a useful but utilitarian item. We think survivors deserve better!
Let’s Work Together
If you are an aid agency who needs bags or postcards please let us know. If you are a donor and would like to donate bags, please get in touch and we will make sure our bags will be delivered with love.
Aid Agencies:
Donors:
Each hospital bag comes with an original Traveling Postcard. Our program is funded 100% on donations, so our initial offering to a shelter is limited to 10 free bags + postcards per organization.
* We make donations based on our supply, usually twice a year.
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*If we do not have the bags you need immediately, we will add you to our waiting list.
You are welcome to donate and have both bags go to a survivor. A donation of $100 supports up to 2 bags. Feel free to donate as many bags as you like!
Let us know how we can help