Ashlee’s Place reaches 1,000 donated bras

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 February 2015 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – Angela Waldriff, owner of Ashlee’s Place in Medina, is pictured inside the store where Waldriff and customers have collected and sent 1,000 bras in the past two years to the Breast Oasis, which shares the bras with battered women’s shelters, teen shelters and rape crisis centers.

MEDINA – The owner of a women’s clothing and boutique store recently hit a milestone when the store and its customers sent the 1,000th donated bra to an organization that gives them to women in crisis situations.

Angela Waldriff, owner of Ashlee’s Place at 116 East Center St., has been collecting the gently worn and new bras for the past two years. Her customers donate many of them.

Waldriff then ships the clothing to the Breast Oasis, which is based in Akron, Ohio. That organizations has now collected over 135,000 bras for women who can’t afford them. Many are donated to women and teens escaping domestic violence.

Ashlee’s Place in Medina is the only site in Upstate New York that accepts the bras. Waldriff became a site for Breast Oasis about two years ago aftershe read a fashion magazine article about the organization and its mission. Waldriff puts inserts about the program in many of her customers’ shopping bags. They often return with donated bras, and many are new with the tags on.

“Our customers have done an exceptional job with the bra contributions,” Waldriff said. “I couldn’t believe it when we counted them up.”

Waldriff sees a trend with breast cancer survivors dropping off gently used mastectomy bras.

“It’s not a huge percent, but it’s enough that we’ve noticed, and we think it’s great,” Waldriff said.

Ashlee’s Place runs an annual Breast Cancer Promotion near Mother’s Day in honor of Waldriff’s mother who battled the disease and won over a decade ago.

“My mom’s cancer free and is in the clear,” Waldriff said.

Ashlee’s will continue accepting donated bras.

“Anyone can drop off gently used or new bras to the store during regular business hours,” Waldriff said. “As soon as our box is full we seal it up and send them off right away.”

For more information on Breast Oasis visit http://breastoasis.org/site/page.php?id=275.