Pocketbook power

Not every woman cares about purses.

But without being overly stereotypical, it's fair to say the subject strikes a chord in at least some of us, even the powerful and influential women gathered for a recent United Way event in Wauconda dubbed "The Power of the Purse."

"We've got a great turnout," said Glenda Abbott, a member of the Women's Leadership Council in the United Way. "We're hoping to recruit as many as we can."

At the event, held in the Lake County Discovery Museum in Wauconda, ladies got the chance to take a look at the museum's purse exhibit, then travel to a table where they could design one of their own handbags.

Chicago boutique 1154 Lill Studios donated 15 percent of the proceeds of all purses bought to the United Way.

The United Way rented the Lake County Discovery Museum for the event and Debbie King of the museum said they were pleased to host.

"It's a great organization," King said. "It's a perfect fit."

Diana Nielander of Gurnee said she attended the United Way event to find out more about the Women's Leadership Council.

"I'm learning how to get involved," she said.

Abbott said that was exactly the purpose of the event -- to introduce women to the group.

"The Women's Leadership Council is a relatively new organization," Abbott said. "What we're trying to do tonight is raise awareness."

Many of the council's activities so far have centered on improving the lives of children, Abbott said.

The group found evidence that parents, especially those who either speak another language or come from economically challenged areas, may not know they should be preparing their preschoolers for kindergarten.

Getting involved early in a child's education is crucial, Abbott said.

"The return investment is very high," she said. "We understand the correlation."

So the group developed a kindergarten readiness calendar that gave parents concrete steps they could take to get their kids ready for school.

Abbott said the organization distributed between 30,000 and 50,000 copies of the calendar, in both English and Spanish.

"It's so fantastic and we're so proud of it," she said.

Twania Brewster of the United Way said parents, preschool operators and teachers can all sign up to get the calendar.

"If you have a preschooler at home, then sign up," Brewster said. For more information, visit www.uwlakeco.org.