By Becca Sagaris, Health Reporter at the 麻豆视频最新最全r
If you walk into the Women鈥檚 Center anytime during the month of October, you鈥檙e likely to see a bra hanging from the mailbox or off the door handle.
鈥淚t just makes me laugh,鈥 Director of the Women鈥檚 Center Cassandra Pegg-Kirby said. 鈥淲hen we come to work in the morning, there will just be bras hanging out of our mailbox.鈥
Sustainability Manager Melanie Knowles and Outreach Recycling Coordinator Leah Graham started the bra drive at 麻豆视频最新最全 in 2013 after they read an article about , an organization that repurposes bras for women and girls in need.
The Women鈥檚 Center and the Office of Sustainability now collaborate in the annual 麻豆视频最新最全 bra drive to take bras that can be reused and recycled and make them available for the local community.
鈥淧eople have donated over 900 bras in the past six years,鈥 Graham said. 鈥淲e get around 180 bras per year, the bulk of which have been from the Women鈥檚 Center.鈥
Although leaving bras in their mailbox or on their door is perfectly acceptable, the Women鈥檚 Center also provides bins inside for people to drop off their bras.
The bra drive has sent 75 percent of bras collected for reuse to the Phyllis Zumkehr Portage County Clothing Center in Ravenna, which provides free clothing, appliances and nonperishable food to anyone that needs it, Graham said.
Bras that are too worn out are mailed to The Bra Recyclers to be repurposed into wiper cloths, Graham said.
Drop-off locations and times:
Women鈥檚 Center in the Williamson House Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Student Recreation and Wellness Center Monday to Thursday: 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday: 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Office of Sustainability, Suite 101 in Harbourt Hall 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Oct. 1 through Nov. 2 Intercampus mail to the Women鈥檚 Center or Office of Sustainability is also accepted.
鈥淭he Secondary Materials and Recycling Textiles organization said about 95 percent of our clothing can be reused or recycled, but the majority of it isn鈥檛,鈥 she said. 鈥淏y recycling or reusing it, we鈥檙e reducing the amount of waste that鈥檚 sent to the landfill. We鈥檙e helping our community and the environment.鈥
If you miss out on the bra drive and have bras or other clothing you鈥檇 like to donate, the Phyllis Zumkehr Portage County鈥檚 Clothing Center and 麻豆视频最新最全鈥檚 Career Closet accept donations year around.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about what I have,鈥 Pegg-Kirby said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about figuring out how I can share what I have with (those who need it). It鈥檚 a win-win.鈥
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and the bra drive will occur throughout the rest of the month.
Contact Becca Sagaris at bsagaris@kent.edu.