New York, NY – Working in Support of Education (w!se) is pleased to announce it has been selected as a community partner for The Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse challenge, an initiative designed to support survivors of domestic violence and the organizations that serve them.
For the third year in a row, w!se will participate in the challenge and will partner with local community leaders, individuals, agencies and organizations to raise money and bring awareness to issues surrounding domestic violence. Exciting new activities will take place that will lead up to the official launch of the challenge in late September. Last year, w!se raised nearly $5,000, a 5% increase over the previous year and won an additional $1,750 in contest prizes, placing w!se in the top 50 fundraisers nationally.
Funds raised through the Challenge will be used to support w!se’s MoneyW!se program. Through this groundbreaking initiative, w!se offers a 12 week course on personal finance to survivors of domestic violence in order to empower them to become financially literate and confident individuals. At the end of each course, clients take w!se’s Financial Literacy Certification Test, and those who pass become Certified Financially Literate, earning w!se’s CFL™. Classes meet once a week in the evening for two hours, and food, child care and the opportunity for financial counseling are provided.
“Domestic violence is an issue affecting every community in the country,” said Kayla Taylor, The Allstate Foundation spokesperson in NY. “We’re excited to partner with w!se for the Purple Purse challenge to help raise awareness and funding across New York that will support life-changing financial empowerment services to help domestic violence survivors build safer lives for themselves and their families.”
“Domestic violence is a national issue and we are grateful to The Allstate Foundation for this wonderful opportunity to participate in the Purple Purse Challenge and raise awareness for domestic violence survivors,” said Phyllis Frankfort Perillo, w!se’s President and CEO.
About The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people’s well-being and prosperity. With a focus on building financial independence for domestic violence survivors, empowering youth and celebrating the charitable community involvement of Allstate agency owners and employees, The Allstate Foundation works to bring out the good in people’s lives. For more information, visit www.AllstateFoundation.org.
About w!se
Working in Support of Education (W!SE) is a leading educational nonprofit based in New York City with a mission to improve the lives of young people and at-risk adults through programs that develop financial literacy and readiness for college and the workforce. Our initiatives are built on the five pillars of relevancy, real-world experiences, strong partnerships, volunteerism and assessment. Follow w!se on Facebook and Twitter @wisenewyork. Media Contact: Steven Appel at 212-421-2700, sappel@wise-ny.org