One local business in Manlius introduces a recent development. Shop owner Shannon Oliver talks about how she wants to give back to the community by using her talent of knitting.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)– One local business in central New York is helping to spread Breast Cancer Awareness in their own way.
Shannon Oliver is the owner of Oliver’s Originals, a small shop in Manlius.
Oliver’s Originals specializes in making products from hand, such as jewelry, sweaters, and beanies.
Last month, Oliver decided to partner with Knitted Knockers, an organization that helps to distribute hand-made breast prosthetics to individuals who need them.
The prosthetics can either be knitted or crocheted, which is something that Oliver loved, since she learned to knit at a young age.
Oliver also liked that this organization enabled her to give back to the community.
“About a month or so ago, I was like I need to bring that into the shop,” said Oliver. “Like, I just have to do that. And it’s a great way to give back, so that’s about when it got started,” said Oliver.
Currently, there is a higher demand for these hand-made prosthetics because of the fact that prosthetic manufacturers tend to shy away from making breast prosthetics.
John Tyo, owner of Syracuse Prosthetic Center, said that many prosthetic companies are not given enough funding for breast prosthetics.
“(It was) Extremely hard from an insurance standpoint for people to get them covered under insurance,” said Tyo.
Tyo continued on to say that it is a specialty branch that tends to be by itself in the prosthetic industry.
For this reason, Oliver said there is an even bigger need for hand-made prosthetics.
Additionally, different breast prosthetics require different kinds of material.
“You need a specific type of yarn,” said Oliver. “You want something that’s gonna be soft and feels comfortable. They’ve even come up with ones you can wear in the water,” said Oliver.
Oliver said she wants to continue supporting Knitted Knockers year-round.
Transcript
ISABEL FLORES: Shannon Oliver is the owner of Oliver’s Originals, a small business specializing in hand-made items.
Recently, Oliver decided to donate to an organization called Knitted Knockers, which collects knitted and crocheted breast prosthetics to produce worldwide.
Oliver hopes to localize the organization’s impact.
SHANNON OLIVER: I’m hoping to be able to reach out to one of the local offices here to be able to distribute them within our community.
FLORES: Oliver has rounded up about a dozen individuals to help make prosthetics, and they have already created between 20 and 25.
Participants can also drop off their hand-made prosthetics at the shop to ensure they get delivered to Knitted Knockers.
OLIVER: I’m also a drop-off location. So people can drop it off at any point and then I can mail them out, so that way, they can be used.
FLORES: Now this is where all the magic happens. Customers are encouraged to participate in open crocheting and knitting sessions to work on personal projects as well as knitted knockers such as these.
Owner of Syracuse Prosthetic Center John Tyo says there has been a decrease in prosthetic centers that manufacture breast prosthetics.
He says this is most likely due to lack of funds.
JOHN TYO: That’s because they’re not getting reimbursed. Because the insurance companies just totally do not understand the complexity of what’s going on and how much goes into it.
FLORES: To combat production decreases, Oliver hopes to expand open sessions for making Knitted Knockers.
OLIVER: I’m hoping to make it a much bigger thing so that way we can have a lot of people help because there’s a big need for it.
FLORES: Oliver plans to continue donating Knitted Knockers year-round.
In Syracuse, Isabel Flores, NCC News.