RIDGEFIELD, CT, October, 2008— The Necessities Bag program, founded in 2005 by Connecticut resident and breast cancer survivor Maureen Lutz, is now available to mastectomy patients through affiliates in 11 states: Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Tennessee, Washington State, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Necessities, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) volunteer organization based in Ridgefield, Connecticut that provides the Necessities Bag to mastectomy patients free of charge exclusively through surgeons, nurses, or hospital breast cancer support centers. The reusable tote is filled with bandages and essentials for wound care, hygiene, and personal comfort.

“I created the Necessities Bag after my own experience,” Lutz explains. “I was overwhelmed with medical information about the surgery, but the little things, the practical things about dealing with my own care and comfort were not really discussed.”

The Necessities Woman to Woman Guide to Prepare for Mastectomy © is the cornerstone of the program. It is a non-medical tool for the patient as well as her concerned caregiver to help navigate pre-surgical turmoil and anticipate the human challenges of homecoming. The guide has just been made available in Spanish.

The Connecticut monthly distribution of 70-80 Necessities Bags women in Long Island, Westchester, Manhattan, and New Jersey. Nationwide interest developed through word of mouth, internet surfing, and traditional media. While many of new affiliates are associated with established breast cancer centers, it is the independently organized efforts that speak of the powerful impact of the Necessities idea.

Becky Christensen, nursing supervisor at the Aurora Medical Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, founded Necessities Bag Wisconsin, Inc. in December 2007 after meeting Lutz at a medical conference in Virginia. “Every time I finish one bag, I think that it’s not just the items,” says Christensen, herself a breast cancer survivor. “Emotionally, it is about the women who will feel that we are here for them and we will get them through this.”

Ellen Mack, breast cancer survivor and founder of Necessitiesbag Sacramento, Inc. says, “This is about women reaching out and doing things for each other.” With her group of dedicated volunteers, Mack coordinates distribution with surgeons and nurses at 3 Sacramento hospitals.

Kristina Alderice had already been through breast cancer surgery when she learned about Necessities. After connecting with Lutz, she launched Necessities, Inc. of Fort Wayne for women in Northeast Indiana. “I know the bag would have been so helpful to me,” Alderice says. “My dream is to reach women statewide.”

Linda Reddick of Tennessee, founder of Total Women Body Systems, a non profit organization that hosts seminars about the importance of self-breast exams, feels that the Necessities Bag enhances her outreach to women in the Memphis area. Dr. Christine Mroz-Blair distributes Necessities Bags to mastectomy patients at the St. Francis Hospital Breast Cancer Clinic.

Lutz helps to launch every new program and offers ideas for encouraging volunteer participation and ways to fund the endeavor. There is no fee for becoming an independent affiliate; however, affiliates are expected to be self-sustaining. The continuity and integrity of the Necessities Bag has to be respected. The contents cannot be altered, except for a specific request by a surgeon.

“The Necessities Bag is not a vehicle for product endorsement or advertising,” Lutz explains. “The sole focus has to be on the patient.”