Shop For A Cause: Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Yummie
From the start, Keep A Breast has used art as a means of teaching young people in a creative way about an important issue. Today, their educational programs and interactive teaching efforts make learning about breast cancer accessible to women of all ages.
With this partnership, 10% of all bra sales will go towards Keep A Breast, so go ahead and treat yourself to new bras while giving back!
If you're interested in learning more about the Keep-A-Breast Foundation and all their efforts, keep reading to below to see what Bree Flory, program manager, had to say!
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The Keep A Breast Foundation™ is a nonprofit organization with a mission to empower young people around the world with breast health education and support. Since its inception in 2000, KAB has worked with young people to remove the shame associated with breasts and breast health.
Check Yourself!
KAB strives to motivate people to live preventatively and inspire them to be their own health advocates. This Breast Cancer Prevention Month, one of their main focuses is raising awareness on the importance of doing a monthly breast self-check. With 40% of diagnosed breast cancer cases being detected by someone who feels a lump (National Cancer Institute), KAB strongly believes in the power of the breast self-check. Plus, when breast cancer is detected early, in the localized stage, the 5-year survival rate is 98% (National Cancer Institute). Early detection is the key.
In order to know if something is wrong, you have to know how your body feels when it’s right: your “normal”. The best time to check yourself is about a week after your period ends, this is when your hormones are the most stable. By checking yourself at this time, you’ll know exactly how your body should feel at this point in your cycle. So, if something is ever different, you’ll likely notice it right away. Knowing what is normal for your body could potentially save your life.
Do your best to approach the self-check as part of your regular health routine, like brushing your teeth or eating vegetables! This way you have a more positive mindset, rather than feel like you’re looking for something to be wrong. You’re just getting to know your body.
The self-check is a healthy practice for your body and mind. By incorporating the self-check into your routine, you have a designated time every month that you spend getting to know and just being with your body, in-turn strengthening your relationship to it. Checking yourself is loving yourself.
With approximately 12,000 women under 40 being diagnosed with breast cancer every year (John’s Hopkins Medical Center), it’s never too early to start checking. No scary medical procedures, just getting to know your boobies and starting that positive relationship with them.
There’s an app for that!
The Keep A Breast Check Yourself! App is the ultimate self-check tool. It teaches you how to do a breast self-check, using interactive gifs, and allows you to schedule an automatic monthly reminder! The app is available for FREE and in 6 languages, with Italian being added October 2019 and even more to come!
Looking to share breast health info with your audience? Check out KAB’s Breast Cancer Prevention Month Toolkit!
Learn more about Keep A Breast’s work and what you can do for your breast health!
Get Fit 4 Prevention
Studies have shown that just 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week can lower your risk of breast cancer by 30-50 percent (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Keep A Breast’s fitness campaign, addresses exactly that! Fit 4 Prevention is a national movement to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention through fitness and wellness. F4P’s goal is to inspire people to reduce their risk of cancer by adopting a healthier, more active lifestyle. It’s super simple, studios and individuals hold a donation-based fitness class, benefiting Keep A Breast, and KAB provides them with education and fun goodies to be shared with the participants and organizers.
Join the Non Toxic Revolution
Approximately 90% of diagnosed breast cancer cases are likely caused by lifestyle and environmental factors (American Cancer Society). Non Toxic Revolution is a Keep A Breast program with a mission to inform, educate and inspire young people to revolt against the dangers of toxic chemicals in their environment and food supply, especially those linked to the development of breast cancer. Its aim is to focus on prevention as a means to maintain long-term health and well-being. NTR also provides alternative choices so that young people everywhere can make smart changes. Check out NTR’s Give Shop for non-toxic alternatives for your everyday life.
Heal Through Art with the Treasured Chest Program
Keep A Breast’s Treasure Chest Program is where the organization began. Inspired by Frida Kahlo, TCP gives any woman diagnosed with breast cancer or testing positive with the BRCA1, BRCA2 Gene an opportunity to document her body and feelings by casting her torso and turning it into a beautiful work of art. These unique pieces, The Keep A Breast Foundation Breast Casts™, are one-of-a-kind plaster forms that combine sculpture, charity, and artistry. They communicate complex emotions about breast health and the female form, allowing the castee to capture a specific point in her life.
