TESTIMONIALS

Clients


"The ladies from BRAWS...God bless them! I was in serious need of a new bra! The one bra I owned was old, stained, and stretched out. I can't wait for them to come back!" 

"I've never owned such a pretty bra, and even though nobody else can see, I know I'm wearing it, and it makes me feel a little better about myself."
 
"Being homeless, I could never afford what I wanted in hygiene supplies. I would use whatever I could get. Getting donations from this program, puts my mind at ease every month and eliminates one of my stressors."

"Being able to save the money that I would normally spending on tampons, allows me to put it towards paying my bills every month. Tampons are expensive!"

shelter coordinators


"Please accept my heartfelt thanks for your efforts to help the women in our shelter.  It was a real blessing to have you and BRAWS come to our shelter to fit our ladies with bras, and bring them feminine hygiene products. Try as I might, bras remain one of the hardest to obtain items we have on our wish list.  We have limited storage space here, so even if we did have a good response, it would be difficult to keep bras handy.  Our ladies come in every size and shape and many have no idea what their correct bra size is. Folks tend to overlook how important bras are to the comfort and self-image of our ladies.  Many of our donors are women, but they likely think of how challenging it is to find that “right” bra for themselves and so are intimidated by the thought of trying to buy one that fits someone else.  Plus, bras aren’t exactly cheap!  Your organization meets this challenge head-on by bringing the resources to us, measuring each client to ensure proper fit, and providing nice quality new bras to these ladies in need.  I never saw so many smiles as I did the evening you came to our shelter.  Each lady leaving the fitting room had a sparkle in her eye and a smile on her face.  Each felt special and pampered by the service you rendered.  I can’t thank you enough for all you did."

"The bras have been a huge help for our ladies!  While the women are comfortable shopping at clothing drives, etc. for gently used clothing, it is certainly so nice to be able to wear NEW bras versus used ones.  The luxury of wearing a new bra is something I think many people take for granted and I think it is wonderful that BRAWS has been able to provide this service to so many women. Thanks again, I know the women were really thankful for the new bras, even if they don't come forward to share it themselves.  The looks on their faces showed it all :)" 

"We would love to have you come back. The ladies loved the event. The other day, one of the clients asked me when the "bra ladies" were coming back. Our clients really enjoyed having you here and are anxiously waiting for you to come back."

"I think BRAWS is a wonderful program reaching out to women in a way that has been overlooked in the past. We have had one small bra fitting at BARN and the women and girls that were here that day were overjoyed with the personal interaction and care received in choosing a new bra that fit! We receive donations of used clothing that we set out for the families to choose from and they are grateful for those donations but to have someone taking the time to ensure a proper fit of a new item is amazing! We hope your organization continues to grow as news spreads of the great work you are doing. BARN would be happy to receive another visit from BRAWS anytime!"
 
"We can not thank you enough for all the assistance our female clients have been able to receive from BRAWS. New undergarments and feminine hygiene items are of critical need to our female residents. Ladies and teen girls at Katherine K. Hanley Family Shelter are grateful for your continued support."

"Thank you so much for your support, Holly! To all of you! BRAWS is providing homeless women with critical personal items that they often can’t afford to buy themselves. It means the world to the women we work with as they move out of homelessness."

"The BRAWS teen program has truly benefited the young ladies in our program. It is so difficult and costly to provide the exact feminine hygiene products our ladies feel comfortable in. This program has given our ladies an opportunity to save some extra money and have the reassurance that they will have exactly what fits their needs monthly." The program is very helpful for the clients we serve. Coming from various backgrounds, the mothers we serve struggle with homelessness, often caused by the inability to find affordable housing. Being able to utilize the BRAWs program, they do not need to spend the extra money on pads and tampons monthly, which allows them to put that money towards savings and budgeting for their future independence and success." 

"Thank you for the BRAWS bra distributions at the Lamb Center this year. We depend on donations of gently-used clothing to supply our guests' needs, which works well for many things, but not for bras! I can't say enough about the boost to self-esteem, comfort and dignity that our ladies received from the brand-new, well-fitted bras you provided. You treated them as pampered customers in a boutique, and they loved the experience as much as the bras. Your organization meets a unique need that these women have, and you do it with kindness and thoughtfulness. Thank you!"

volunteers

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"Volunteering for BRAWS is so meaningful to me. The need for bras, panties and feminine products is something many of us take for granted. Knowing we can make difference in our local community is so rewarding."

"I am a proud supporter of BRAWS and personally participated in an event where over 200 bras and feminine products were distributed. What so many women take for granted - the ability to buy a new bra and feminine products - is truly not an option for some. The experience of volunteering with BRAWS has resonated with me. Every woman who participated in the distribution was so grateful; you could hear it in their words and see it on their faces. BRAWS is a game-changer. Holly Siebold recognized the need to help women who are facing some challenging times and didn’t look away. Instead, she said, “There’s a problem and what are we going to do about it?” BRAWS was born."

"BRAWS passion and commitment to women and girls in need is a joy to behold. I was so shocked and saddened to learn that so many women in our community are in such desperate need of bras and personal hygiene products. My first visit to a shelter was a real eye opener. One woman literally came in wearing a house dress and no underwear. Each woman was so happy to be fitted for a bra and given panties. It was so heartwarming to see the excitement shining in their eyes. One woman insisted upon giving Holly a five dollar bill to help other women in need. I'm so glad that BRAWS came into my life."

"I LOVE the passion and commitment of BRAWS. After several visits to shelters, I see the urgency and real need for these women. It was staggering to learn that some women had but 1 bra and 1 pair of underwear in their possession; I see BRAWS as fulfilling a real need and huge public service although not a very glamorous one. Dignity plays a huge role in this endeavor.

SCHOOLS

You are both amazing!!! Thank you for all you do to help so many families in our area. You are unsung heroes during this pandemic. Very few organizations were thinking about the true day to day issues of women everywhere like you do. Having your agency to rely on to help with our girls needs has been a huge help. Being able to give girls who are struggling to manage all the expectations placed on them these past couple of years a clean pair of underwear and sanitary products for the month has made all the difference. What was a stressful day for the girl ended with a no worries we got you moment. At the school level we are limited sometimes on how we can help but you have made it possible to change a girls day.

Thank you

Elysaa Abelson, LCSW
UBMS Social Worker