We collect pre-loved bras on behalf of Support the Girls Australia. If you have any pre-loved bras you would like to donate please package them up and send to Sports Bras Direct, PO Box 379, Nerang, Queensland, 4211. Thanks.
Jane spent a month researching the available services that supported women with underwear and could not find a single Australian service.
There were a few organisations that sent offshore but none that specifically looked after their own women and girls. So, Jane threw all caution to the wind and walked away from her paid career to follow her heart and create a platform that would give women and girls their dignity back.
Support the Girls is a non-for-profit organisation that is run by women for women. They are a charity that puts its heart and soul into everything they do. They are a non for profit that operates with transparency and integrity. And are supported by incredible volunteers and the generous public supporters. It is truly a labour of love.
People often ask Jane what it is like to run a non-for-profit and what qualifications does one need to be able to know what women need. The answer is simple. Jane is a mother, was widowed at 39, a survivor and has succeeded through her roller coaster life with strong skills of resilience. Jane has walked the journey that so many of these women have walked on multiple levels.
Jane can with absolute conviction identify with so many of their stories. So, when she responds in a conversation, she not only responds with empathy, but firsthand knowledge as does many of her volunteers. Jane also has her corporate background to tap into. This allows her to run the business side of Support the Girls.
What it is like to live in your own “bubble” and not broadcast to the world your struggles. She has always been a private person, but also, a proud person. So, would never ask for help.
This is the reality of so many of their clients. It is not just homeless women, or women impacted by domestic issues that are in need. Even in the everyday world, there are so many women out there who are trying to start their own business’s and have nothing in the fridge.
Yet go out as if the world is at their feet and go home and dissolve back into reality. For them buying a bra, underwear or menstrual hygiene products is a struggle. It is that “fake it till you make it” attitude that they aim to change.
Women need to make it, but they also need to support each other more whilst they get there. Women need to feel comfortable to reach out to their friends or community and say they need help. Overall, most women do not do this.
For Jane it is simple. Support the Girls is an organisation for women that is run by women. The key focus is making sure that all women and girls have their dignity and wellbeing taken care of. But even more important than that is letting women and girls know that they are not alone.
Through the simple act of having conversations with women and being a listening ear, or a shoulder to cry on. You are giving someone the opportunity to just be themselves but also giving them some genuine time. Their goal is to arm women with self-belief, resilience and see them shine.
As an organisation, they are a work in progress. They expand and create new processes as they recognise and see a need. They are not funded and rely predominantly on the generosity of the public.
They are not wealthy from a fiscal value. Their wealth is in what they do. The look on a women’s face when she comes out of a fitting room is priceless. The hugs you receive from women when they leave a Bra Gifting event is real and filled with genuine appreciation.
The landscape they work in is huge and varied. With growth and financial strength, they will be able to expand on what they deliver to women and girls. Their rural outreach service is essential as the need for support is far and wide in both rural farming and rural indigenous communities. They support women and girls within our communities.
Why is this important you may ask? It is the long-term impact that counts. If a woman has dignity, she can go out and seek employment, the flow on effect has so many positives. If she is a mother, she can be the role model for her children. She is supporting herself and indirectly her community. It reduces mental health issues that are so prevalent in so many of our communities.
There are various ways. Funding is obviously always needed. But they really need people/business’s that would either like to support us with their skillsets or product or financial. Bras, underwear etc.
If you would like to support women in need in our communities, then head across to the Support the Girls website. If you have any gently loved bras (near new) that are in excellent working condition that you do not wear, package them up and send them to Sports Bras Direct, PO Box 379, Nerang, QLD, 4211. Please ensure that they are washed, the straps and sides have excellent stretch, no holes or severe pilling. The best guide is if you would be happy to receive the bra then we can gift it on. So send us your bras and we will happily pass them on to Support the Girls on your behalf.”
Amy x
"*" indicates required fields
