Give your bras a second life and support low-income women with Lift: the bra project

Photo: Tanvi Madkaiker

Cleaning house, wardrobe dumping, Marie Kondo-ing — whatever you want to call it, many of us have purged our closets and dressers of stuff that no longer brings us joy. Bras are one item lost in the shuffle — rarely given and rarely accepted by local charities and second-hand shops. But did you know you can actually donate your new or gently used underpinnings, instead of just trashing them?

That’s where Lift: the bra project comes in. Started by east end local Michelle Cinapri, the organization has collected more than 4,400 bras since its inception in March 2019 — averaging 1,000 bras per month this fall alone — and distributes them to low-income women.

“We don't believe that bras will change the world, but we do believe a bra gives people the support they deserve,” Cinapri says. “Bras are absolutely a necessity and are often out of reach for people living in poverty because they can be expensive and hard to find and we know that it may not be a financial priority. Every person should have access to this basic necessity if they want one.”

Bras are more than just an everyday essential. Cinapri adds that they also provide with a sense of dignity and lift confidence for women and trans-women who are living in poverty.

“Every human deserves dignity and we believe in doing our part to support that.”

Lift: the bra project collects bras of all styles and sizes — including sports and nursing bras — and redistributes them in the community from where they came. With the incredible response of donations, the organization is actively supporting seven Toronto shelters: Sistering, Elizabeth Fry Toronto, Jessie's Centre, Ve'ahavta, Nellie's, YWCA and Native Women's Resource Centre.

“We make sure every bra we collect passes the ‘best friend test’ — if you would give it to your best friend to wear, then we can take it,” she says. “We wash every bra, sort them and distribute them to our partner organizations. That means that bras are being diverted from landfills to the hands of women and trans-women living in poverty.”

Cinapri says the idea for the project came to her when she was cleaning out her closet, finding bras that were in perfectly fine condition to donate but couldn’t find a suitable place that would take them.

“It broke my heart to think of a person going through a day in their life without a bra if they wanted one,” she says. “I reached out to some shelters to see if there really was a need for bras, and their response was clear — the need was overwhelming and they had no other consistent source for bras. So, I immediately started Lift: the bra project.”

Cinapri says the project has no intention of slowing down and so long as bras keep coming in, the focus will be to expand support to more shelters and organizations.

“The need is great, and we want to be able to meet it.”

Friends and fans can keep up to date with the project on Instagram @liftbraproject. Visit liftbraproject.com to find drop-off locations at local businesses across the city, making it convenient to give your bras a second life.