Nelson and Tasman residents have thrown their support behind this year’s Love Grace Handbag Appeal, helping drive the biggest response the charity has seen across New Zealand.
Local co-ordinator Resonia Jackson says the 2026 appeal collected 8,072 handbags nationwide, supported by 120 store drop-off points and 74 co-ordinators.
The Love Grace Handbag Appeal New Zealand provides handbags filled with essential items for women escaping domestic violence, and behind the scenes of the Nelson appeal it was very much a family effort.
Resonia’s daughter Sammie Pine, along with her grandchildren, helped sort and prepare the bags at home, carefully organising products to ensure each handbag was complete.
Her eldest grandson Korbyn also played a special role, helping attach keychains created by The Sparkle Project, a community initiative run by Racheal Greig. The team crafted 201 unique charms from remade jewellery, adding a personal touch to each bag.
Together, they tagged every handbag with ribbon and cards before loading them up for delivery. In total, 153 bags were delivered to the local Whakatū Refuge Trust / Nelson Women’s Refuge, with the remaining donations going to the women’s centre.
Whakatū Refuge Trust / Nelson Women’s Refuge manager Annamarie Angus says the refuge is very grateful to have received a significant number of Love Grace handbags, generously donated by members of the community in memory of Grace Millane.
“These handbags are filled to the brim with more than just practical items, they are expressions of care, compassion, and solidarity. For many of the wāhine we support, arriving at refuge can happen suddenly, often without the opportunity to gather even the most basic personal belongings.
“The Love Grace handbags provide essential items, along with small comforts that help restore a sense of mana and remind wāhine that they are not alone.”
Annamarie says the initiative is a powerful example of turning tragedy into meaningful action.
“It reflects the shared commitment of our community to stand against family violence and to support wahine and whānau during some of the most challenging times in their lives.
“Whakatū Refuge would like to sincerely thank Resonia Jackson and everyone who contributed to the 2026 Nelson Love Grace appeal. Your generosity and hard work have made a tangible difference to the whānau we support, and send a strong message of kindness and hope to those who need it most.”
Resonia says the generosity from the public has been overwhelming.
“Thank you to all the public who took part in donating to this event, the cards, the bags and the love you shared putting these together. People donated bags and products to go in them.
“Thank you all for reaching out when I put posts up needing things to fill bags. Thank you to all of my drop-off points also. Without you guys this would not have been possible.”
While the appeal continues to grow each year, so too does the need.
“Domestic violence seems to be growing more and more, now women have places to go to feel safe,” Resonia says. “If a handbag with beautiful things inside can be the thing to make them feel good for a moment.”
After coordinating the Nelson–Tasman region this year, she says one thing is certain for next year.
“A house can only store so much,” she laughed.
