Cathlene Miner, founder of Hopefull Handbags, knows that we all thrive to be the best version of ourselves in a community that is motivating, uplifting and supportive. Hopefull Handbags loves to inspire and believes in collaboration over competition. That is why all of the events that Hopefull Handbags hosts and are a part of are all centered around gaining a healthy Self Perception and bringing women in the community together to support, motivate, and inspire each other. “We are who we surround ourselves with,” Cathlene says. “Sometimes it just takes that one smile from a stranger or a friend, or that one word that makes us look at everything differently. Hopefull Handbags is here for those very things.”
WOMEN’S EXPO 2020 ON MARCH 5
In the spirit of hope, the upcoming first annual Women’s Expo, hosted by Hopefull Handbags, will be held at the beautiful Parlor Room behind DOS Coffee on Thursday, March 5 from 12pm to 3pm. You will be motivated and inspired hearing local women speakers, like Cathlene Miner herself; Dr. Kalpana Sundar, founder and owner of Avanti Medical Spa and Kalvera Skincare; an interview with Tabitha Dingler, Sharon Sister’s support group founder and Pure Romance business owner, and Stephanie Infante with Epic Cure; as well as additional speakers to be announced here.
You’ll enjoy seeing local women-owned/managed businesses and nonprofits such as Wild Heart Boutique, Ancient City Entertainment, Precious Bloomers Boutique, KalVera Skincare, and Avanti Medical Spa, The Pretzel Lady, LaCura Salt Spa, Dani’s Bath Boutique, Stoned Handmade, Lady Love, Sharon’s Sisters, Two Sparrows, The Nature’s Legacy, St. Augustine Sailing, STArt Now, Alpha Omega, Justice Coalition, Epic-Cure, PT Sweat, Short Dog Jewelry, St. Augustine Fashion Week, The 30 Day Self Perception Makeover, Hopefull Handbags, St. Augustine Social, Old City Occasions and catered food by World Plate Eatery St. Augustine. Also, a fantastic Local Boutique Fashion Show will be held during the Women’s Expo, and the Hopefull Handbags Women Expo is a stop for Saint Augustine Fashion Week’s Boutique Day too!
Tickets to the Women’s Expo are $5, and that also gets you the chance to win one of the giveaways that will take place every 30 minutes. When you bring a once-loved handbags or necessities for a handbag, you will receive an extra raffle ticket for each! If you have any questions, please contact Hopefull Handbags. We look forward to seeing you there! Keep posted to Women’s Expo 2020 for more information being released!
“Never Underestimate the Power of Hope.”
MORE ABOUT CATHLENE AND HOPEFULL HANDBAGS
The journey from being a young working single mom raising two children to become a married, stay-at-home mother of four and now grandmother to two, has experiences that have led to entrepreneurship, philanthropy, best selling author, international speaker, coach, and Hopefull Handbags Global nonprofit 501(c)3 founder that is inspiring women all over the world and raising hope one handbag at a time.
Cathlene Miner, a local St. Augustinian who was born and raised in Florida, is helping raise hope for all women, including women that are getting back on their feet again due to domestic violence and other detrimental situations. Cathlene’s passion for raising hope is because she knows that a little hope can go a long way. (You can find out more about what’s behind Cathlene’s passion for starting Hopefull Handbags here!)
“I feel so grateful to have been raised by parents that were always there to give me hope and teach me the half glass full mentality. Even when I had downtimes, as we all will, I knew I had someone to talk to with no judgment, and that is what I want others to feel.” Cathlene grew up watching her parents always helping others and she could feel the great energies surrounding it.
She knows that a little twinge of hope can get us over that hump. “Hope will allow us to realize that we are limitless. Hope will get us the life that we desire. Hope will remind us that our past does not dictate our future. Hope will allow us to be open to all of the possibilities that this life has in store for us. Hope reminds us that it can be even better than we could have ever imagined”, she says.
Cathlene puts a lot of focus on Self Perception, which she sees as the base of everything in your life. Your Self Perception is what you think and feel about you. “Your Self Perception dictates the chances you take, the choices you make, the relationships professionally and personally that you stay in, and the ones that you leave because you know that you are worth it and you are enough. A healthy Self Perception is key to whatever your version of success is that you would like to reach.” That is what led to Cathlene’s bestselling books, The 30 Day Self Perception Makeover and The 30 Day Self Perception Makeover Teen Edition. So much inspiration and motivation can be found at cathleneminer.com.
From her own experiences as a teenager and those of her four children and clients throughout the years, she knows that a healthy Self Perception and an open mind can lead to limitless possibilities and allow you to manifest (create) your life on purpose. Cathlene says, “A healthy Self Perception allows you to realize what you must do for yourself beginning on the inside in order to reflect all that you truly are on the outside. You are manifesting your life every day, why not do it on purpose.” That is the meaning behind her podcast Manifesting Magic in your everyday life. “There are small tweaks you can make every day to begin to see positive shifts in your life.”
Cathlene started Hopefull Handbags in 2017 in St. Johns County with a mission to give hope and raise awareness one handbag at a time (more at HopefullHandbags.org), by donating once loved handbags filled with necessities and things to make women feel amazing along with an uplifting inspirational note to help women getting back on their feet again.
The Handbags Full of Hope are only part of it. For Hopefull Handbags, it is also about raising awareness that domestic violence is real. It happens in all socioeconomic backgrounds, as with other detrimental situations some women may find themselves in.
“Also raising awareness around the world that there is Help, Hope, and Support all over at no charge. The more people we can spread the word to, we potentially reach the very women that need to be connected to safety.” Men are also survivors of domestic violence and the detrimental situations, and they are supported with the same services, if needed.
Hopefull Handbags has spread to multiple states in the US, the Caribbean and other countries are beginning Hopefull Handbags.
All donations stay in the community that it is donated in. We also work directly with the shelters and women to assure that our Hopefull Handbags get in the hands of the ladies that we are donating them to.
OTHER HOPEFULL HANDBAGS EVENTS
Hopefull Handbags’ TEEN Holiday 2019 Scavenger Hunt was a huge success, and everyone had so much fun. The first team to solve all of the riddles WINS!! The winning team chooses a local charity of their choice to donate their winnings. The Winning Money Pot is donated by Hopefull Handbags and local businesses. Hopefull Handbags fosters the importance of collaboration and working together as well as making a positive impact in the lives of others.
Hopefull Handbags donates to a number of organizations in the area, such as:
- Betty Griffin Shelter
- Alpha Omega Miracle Home
- Saint Gerard Campus
- Saint Francis House
- Haven of Hope for Women in honor of Misty
- Port In The Storm
- Family Integrity Program of St. Johns County
And others.
WOMEN’S EXPO EVENT SPONSORS AND NONPROFIT PARTNERS
For more information on Cathlene Miner, visit www.cathleneminer.com . To get involved or to learn more about Hopefull Handbags, please visit www.hopefullhandbags.org. Featured image by Brian Miller.