A Calgary woman who's living at the downtown YWCA turned in a lost purse with more than $10,000 inside.

The woman, who doesn't want her name used, said it was left behind by someone driving away from a downtown building.

She said she looked inside for a phone number and was shocked to find a large amount of cash — just over $10,000.

"I'd never seen that much cash before in my life," she said. "I didn't know how much it was. But it was a like a big pile of hundreds or they all looked to be hundreds."

The woman said it never occurred to her to keep the money, despite the difference it could have made.

"I need the money sure, there's no two ways about that," she said. "I have to, you know, find some place to live and find furniture and all that stuff. But no, that didn't cross my mind at all, not when it was that large an amount."

The woman went to her case worker, who called the police.

Police said they got a call shortly after about a missing purse and were able to get it back to the owners, who were visiting from Edmonton. They did not say why they had that much cash in the purse.