The Westport Woman’s Club (WWC) partnered with Necessities, Inc. for Breast Cancer Awareness Month to provide over 75 Necessities Bags ™ filled with information and supplies for women facing the challenges of mastectomy and reconstruction.
Necessities, Inc., a non-profit organization, was founded by Maureen Lutz, a former breast cancer surgery patient. Ms. Lutz learned through trial and error what she needed to help her be comfortable while she recovered and wanted to share this knowledge with other mastectomy patients. Each Necessities Bag is filled with information as well as wound care supplies and personal items for hygiene and comfort. The signature item in each tote is a pair of handmade comfort pillows to provide cushioning and help ease the pain after surgery.
Lisa Turnick, a Fairfield resident and volunteer for Necessities, Inc. organizes the bag packing events, oversees the storage facility and helps with monthly distribution of the bags. “We deliver over 100 bags a month to nurses and doctors who give them to patients free of charge before mastectomy,” said Ms. Turnick. “Each bag costs about $50 to put together. It’s organizations like the Westport Woman’s Club who sew pillows and donate time and resources for the bags that make this possible.”
