The Tellico Village branch of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs is supporting area breast cancer patients.

Club members and outside volunteers joined forces to sew 90 specifically designed breast cancer pillows, which were then donated to local breast cancer treatment centers.

“It’s very meaningful to us, as a club, because we have had several breast cancer survivors,” Nancy Gregg, second vice president, said. “And it’s also meaningful to the people who receive them, so it’s a small thing that we can do to help encourage women who are going through treatment for breast cancer.”


Martha Velez and Nancy Benn, club members, came up with the idea at the beginning of the year. They first put it into practice on a smaller scale as an act of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to see if cancer centers would be interested in the product.

After getting an overwhelmingly positive response, they decided to expand the project going into October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and now hope to make it a regular initiative.

“I think it’ll be our signature project — that’s what I’m hoping for,” Velez said. “We have a lot of fabric that’s been donated, and women have become enthusiastic about the project. I couldn’t be more delighted.”

Velez found a pattern for the pillows online. They form a U shape, much like neck pillows, but are intended to go under the arm of breast cancer patients. The unique shape helps keep the arm away from any stitches or drainage tubes present following a mastectomy.

She showed the pattern to Benn, who saw value for breast cancer patients and recognized the effort as a worthwhile service project for the club. As a breast cancer survivor, Benn said she wanted to be able to show support for other women going through the same experience.

“It’s really important to me,” Benn said. “It’s kind of a gesture of love that you give somebody going through this, that there’s not a lot we can do for you but here’s a little something to comfort you.”

Each pillow was packaged with the encouraging message, “A strong woman knows she has strength enough for the journey … but a woman of strength knows it is on the journey that she will become strong.”

“It just tells the breast cancer victim that they’re not alone, that there are other women who have been through that experience and that there is encouragement out there for them,” Gregg said. “Obviously, anytime that someone is going through cancer treatments they receive encouragement and support from their medical team, but it’s good to know that there are other women out there who have fought the disease and have overcome.”

GFWC-TV named the initiative a “By Women, For Women” event and used it to showcase what the organization is about. Plenty of non-member volunteers came to help, with several signing up to join the club afterward.

The project was accomplished in part by funds raised at the club’s annual Home Tour, which is its biggest fundraiser. In addition to in-house initiatives like the breast cancer pillows, the tour raises money for a wide range of local non-profits and worthy causes.

This year’s Home Tour will take place 1-4:30 p.m. Nov. 6 and feature two homes in the Village and two in Rarity Bay. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to https:// gfwctellico.org/2022-home-tour.