The Bra Recyclers Send Prosthesis & Post-Mastectomy Bras to Help S. African Breast Cancer Survivors
The Bra Recyclers have partnered with the Cape Peninsula group of Reach For Recovery to provide recycled prosthesis and post-mastectomy bras to women in need.
- Phoenix-Mesa, AZ (1888PressRelease) June 26, 2012 - The Bra Recyclers, an Arizona based recycling company, have been recycling bras to women in need throughout the United States since 2008. This week, The Bra Recyclers are sending prosthesis and post-mastectomy bras to Reach for Recovery South Africa, a nonprofit, volunteer driven breast cancer support group. The shipment will be the first international delivery of post-mastectomy and prosthesis for The Bra Recyclers, and marks an important contribution towards helping women in need feel empowered and inspired through the simple gift of a bra.
"Reach For Recovery South Africa contacted The Bra Recyclers to request assistance in providing specialty bras for the women served by their program. Upon looking at their website, and seeing all the wonderful things these survivors are doing to help other women during such a challenging time, it was a clear choice for The Bra Recyclers to get involved," The Bra Recyclers CEO Elaine Birks-Mitchell, stated. "A couple years ago, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. I know how devastating a breast cancer diagnosis can be, the emotional toll it plays on women, and how expensive and difficult it can be to obtain these special bras if you do not have insurance. The work these women are doing to help each other is truly powerful and we are lucky we can be involved in the recovery process for these women."
The Cape Peninsula group of Reach For Recovery South Africa is a volunteer group composed of 25 volunteers who have been breast cancer patients and have recovered both emotionally and physically. "Our volunteers are best placed to offer support to both men and women alike. They have had personal experience of the illness and how devastating a diagnosis can be and can help, in a positive way, by relating this to breast cancer patients along their journey," Reach For Recovery Volunteer Janet Murphy stated.
In addition to the emotional support provided by Reach For Recovery, the organization also is proud to provide breast cancer patients and survivors with prosthesis fitting services. The bras provided by The Bra Recyclers will help support this program offering, particularly for women who cannot afford the expensive post-mastectomy bras or prosthesis. "We have found that many of the ladies who attend appointments have either ill-fitting bras, or bras that they have had for years and cannot afford to replace. The donated bras will help ease some of the distress caused when patients are confronted with their replacement breast and have no proper bra to support it," Murphy stated.
Reach for Recovery South Africa will be hosting the 17th Reach to Recovery Breast Cancer Support Conference next year (www.reachforrecovery2013.org) The conference will look at breast cancer from perspectives of the patient, the survivor, the partner, the family, the community, the breast cancer activist and the health professional. The conference will not only provide better understanding and knowledge of breast cancer and resources for patients, survivors and families, but also seeks to empower survivors to advocate for their rights and facilitate skills and knowledge transfer.
The Bra Recyclers also will be advocating for breast cancer awareness in the upcoming annual event, Bra Recycling Month. The October event correlates directly with Breast Cancer Awareness month and encourages women to help raise awareness about breast cancer, while supporting women in need, by recycling their gently used or new bras. "The Bra Recyclers are proud to support a network of charity connections throughout the United States. We support homeless women, domestic violence survivors, and women in transitional facilities, in addition to supporting breast cancer patients and survivors. We are able to provide this great gift, while directly reducing the number of textiles entering the waste stream. It is really a win-win for everyone," Birks-Mitchell stated.
For more information about The Bra Recyclers, including charity organizations they support or where you can recycle your bras locally, please visit www.brarecycling.com, and be sure to sign up for their newsletter or follow them on Facebook to learn more about Bra Recycling Month!
About The Bra Recyclers:
The Bra Recyclers is based in Gilbert, AZ. A recycling company specializing in recycling bras, the organization does its part to help the environment by delaying the amount of unused bras and textiles that go to landfills, thus reducing the pressure on virgin resources. For more information, visit www.brarecycling.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About Reach For Recovery
Reach for Recovery was started in 1952 in the USA when Mrs. Terese Lasser, a mastectomy patient, realized that not enough was being done for those whose life had changed dramatically after breast cancer. The program can be found in more than 70 countries.
Reach for Recovery South Africa is an affiliated member of Reach to Recovery International (RRI) which is a comprehensive non-medical program created to help women with breast cancer. It is based on the premise that former breast cancer patients, now physically and emotionally healthy, can relate in a unique and positive way to new patients with breast cancer. The program is free of charge and volunteer driven.
For more information, visit http://www.reach4recovery.org.za/ or follow on Facebook.
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