My daughter-in-law, Julie, is very special: When she recognizes a need, she fills it.
Her latest project is collecting bras for women who are disadvantaged.
Julie put out the call on Facebook and Instagram for gently used bras. She was deluged with donations of bras in every shape, size and color. Julie’s friends and acquaintances have been dropping off scores of bras at her house in New Jersey. Julie collects them, puts them in boxes and ships them off via UPS to an organization called The Bra Recyclers.
The Bra Recyclers https://www.brarecycling.com is a clothing recycling company focused on the recycling and reuse of preloved bras and other lingerie. Their goal is to educate and influence both consumers and retailers on the social and environmental benefits of extending the life of preloved bras, rather than discarding them in landfills. The Bra Recyclers, supporting women and girls around the world in transition and in need, have donated over 4 million bras to over 100 non-profits globally.
Julie’s first shipment to them contained 130 bras. And her second shipment is up to 96 bras and growing.
Why not just drop them off at an area Goodwill or Salvation Army store, I wondered? I did a little Internet sleuthing. With the decluttering craze in full swing, many thrift shops are simply overwhelmed with people’s unwanted stuff. When thrift stores can’t keep up with the large number of donations, many items end up going to textile recyclers to keep the materials out of landfills. Not a bad thing, but it is certainly more gratifying to know that what you are giving away will directly reach the intended audience.
I came across two more organizations that are bra specific charities.
- Free The Girls is a charity organization that takes clean, gently used bra donations. The bras are shipped to human trafficking survivors/victims in Mozambique, El Salvador and Costa Rica. These women are in need of jobs. Free The Girls helps them set up bra-selling businesses. These secondhand apparel resale businesses ultimately become a long term source of income for these women.
- I Support The Girls is a group that distributes essentials like bras, underwear and menstrual hygiene products to homeless women, poor women, refugees and evacuees and other women in need. Through an international network of Affiliates, I Support the Girls allows women experiencing homelessness, impoverishment, or distress to stand tall with dignity. Their philosophy is awoman shouldn’t have to choose between feeding herself and her personal health. Every woman should have the ability to maintain her dignity.
My take: it’s simply amazing how one person doing one small thing can make such a big difference. Thank you, Julie, for being an inspiration and role model for all of us.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
Iris Ruth Pastor
