February is the season of love.  Love is often shared through the inspirational stories of those beautiful souls we meet. That said, the Women Survivors Alliance believes in the power of stories to affect the world.  It’s their mission. It’s also about carrying the mission of others forward.

After a breast cancer diagnosis in 2012, late fall had WSA Volunteer, Jenifer Niederwerfer, online reaching out to other survivors via social media. With two broken legs, an unfortunate accident between chemo and radiation treatments, the computer was her network to a world of wonderful and inspiring people.

That’s where she first met Taira Baughman.

Taira, a powerhouse lady and Stage 4 triple negative breast cancer patient, plopped a Santa head on her bald head and delivered Christmas stockings stuffed with goodies, books, inspirational materials and Christmas joy to fellow patients at two chemo offices in the Nashville area. As Jen watched Taira’s Facebook video, she was inspired.

Taira gained her angel wings that spring, but Jen had already been given her legacy to carry onward. Over the past three years, the stocking project has grown and in 2017, Jen’s family, volunteers, survivors, co-survivors and supporters stuffed and delivered over 300 stockings to cancer centers around Middle Tennessee.

In honor of this beautiful month of love, the Women Survivors Alliance is pleased to announce a new partnership with their long-time volunteer, Jen, to expand the reach of the project throughout Tennessee and eventually throughout the southeast. The “Stuffed with Love Project” is setting up to triple the stocking delivery to patients through more partnerships with cancer centers across the southeast and community donations – all born from of one person’s inspiring story of giving and the heart of another to keep the spirit of her story alive.

“With each stocking stuffed, devotion to the project grows,” states Jen.  “Each holiday season, many people are facing the first or the painful memory of family and friends no longer with us. The addition of a cancer diagnosis or schedule treatments can be just the encouragement they need to help them greet the New Year.”

Now an official Ribbon of Support of the WSA, The Stuffed with Love Project will begin in July 1 every year and ends on December 24th.   Stories will be shared both online and in print that will show how the smallest gift of a stocking can impact a world and how the love of one woman can create a mission to change lives and bring hope to those who may need a little smile at this holiday season.

Volunteers, drivers, supporters, financial and product donors are asked to contact Jen directly at Jen@WomenSurvivorsAlliance.org to ask how they can support this inspirational gift for cancer patients.