Ladies, your bras are needed

ROCKFORD — It’s a matter of women helping women and turning a negative into a chance to do something positive.

That’s how Dr. Landon Pryor of Affiliated Surgeons of Rockford and Randa Noble, Rockford Rescue Mission’s director of development, describe a plan to collect still-good bras that would be discarded by women who have undergone breast surgery and distribute them to women in crisis situations or other circumstances of need.

Pryor, who has been practicing in Rockford for six months, became familiar with the program — called Breast Oasis — while performing his plastic surgery residency and fellowship in Akron, Ohio, and has placed a collection box outside his office at Rockford Health Physicians, 2300 N. Rockton Ave.

The Rescue Mission is involved because it serves women in difficult situations through its Women’s Crisis Center and Women’s Life Recovery programs.

“Initially, people thought it was a strange idea to have these women donate their bras and then distribute them,” said Pryor, who said the idea was originated by clients of one his residency mentors, Dr. John Peterson, “but it has really been well received.

“We’re talking about something that is essential to most women but they may be in circumstances where they’re not able to afford this or they’re in a crisis situation and had to leave their belongings behind and, essentially, have nothing.”

Pryor said the donated garments must be in good, usable condition. “These are not bras that otherwise would be thrown in the garbage,” he said. “We certify them, we evaluate them and make sure they are appropriate for donation. They go through a certification process and they are dry cleaned and distributed in a nice package.”

He said the initial donors were women who were changing their bra size because of cosmetic or reconstructive plastic surgery, breast augmentation or breast reduction. “Then, people became involved, and it was no longer just women who were having plastic surgery who donated bras. It was anybody that had bras they wanted to donate.”

Bras chosen for donation are labeled with an identification number, allowing the donor and recipient to communicate if they want to through the organization’s Web site at breastoasis.org.
The Web site also is set up to arrange donations of time or money.

Pryor said Akron has a system of hospitals similar to Rockford’s and the hospitals compete to collect the most bras for the program. He said he would like to add additional collection boxes locally and promote similar hospital competition in Rockford.

He also would like, eventually, to help connect the organization to international service projects.

Noble said that, as the program grows, the Rescue Mission would seek to share donations with other organizations. “It’s just another way of women helping women,” she said. “They can feel like they’re giving back in their time of crisis, turning a negative event into something positive for them and passing on good will to somebody else.”

Staff writer Mike DeDoncker can be reached at 815-987-1382 or mdedoncker@rrstar.com.

Bra donation program
What: Breast Oasis, a nonprofit, charitable organization to help women by providing clean and certified, new or gently used bras to those in need.
How it works: Donated bras are collected, cleaned and tagged with an identification number that allows the donor to leave words of encouragement to recipients and for recipients to respond, if they wish, using the same number on the organization’s Web site.
How to donate: Bras can be placed in drop boxes and cash or donations of time can be arranged on the Web site.
Local drop box: The only drop box in Rockford to date is outside the office of Dr. Landon Pryor at Affiliated Surgeons of Rockford, Suite 304 at 2300 N. Rockton Ave.
Web site: breastoasis.org
More information: Call Brittany Smith at 815-964-3333 or Randa Noble at 815-316-4157