Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — October brings attention to breast cancer, by raising awareness of treatment, research and prevention. One local company is going a step above the rest, by offering a free home cleaning to a patient undergoing treatment.

Cleaning for a Reason is an international organization that provides home cleanings for family members battling cancer. At first it was just for women, but now anyone fighting the disease can apply.

“I am a breast cancer survivor myself, I was diagnosed in 2011. And so when I found out about this in 2014, after going through my experience of being extremely tired and just no energy at all to perform day to day  tasks, that I realized this would be something that would greatly benefit the women in our community,” said Marlo Kanipe, owner of Deserved Comfort House Cleaning.

The company partners with Cleaning for a Reason to provide the service locally.

“It means more than I can say. It is very rewarding, heartwarming, it just means a whole lot to me to see the difference and get the appreciation from the people who do benefit from this,” said Kanipe.

Columbia native Lenora Floyd was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, and learned about Cleaning for a Reason from a flyer.

“I was sitting at the table and I thought ‘that’s really something that would be such a huge help!’ Because I do most of the cleaning around the house, and I didn’t really know what to expect,” said Floyd.

Deserved Comfort provided her home cleanings. Floyd said having a clean home lifted a burden while she was going through a tough time.

“It was just really nice to have that service, and one less thing not to have to worry about. Be able to rest instead of thinking ‘oh, I really need to vacuum up,’” said Floyd.

“The chemotherapy and radiation really just takes a toll on your body. It is exhausting. When someone is going through those times, the last thing you want to do is to have to do physical work. And house cleaning, of course, is physical work,” said Kanipe.

“It’s nice to be able to take one small thing off of their plate. That they don’t have to worry about cleaning or keeping their house clean,” said Nicka Evans, a certified cleaning technician with Deserved Comfort. “This is what I do for work, it doesn’t seem like it’s a big deal. But to be able to come into someone’s house and see that it is a big deal and it’s important to them, it really means a lot to me.”

Since partnering with Cleaning for a Reason in 2014, Deserved Comfort has donated about $15,000 worth of cleanings. They will continue to help and be there for people as they battle cancer.

“To see hope, and kindness, and love from a company that’s a local company,” said Kanipe.

If you’re interested in Cleaning for a Reason, you can apply and find more information by clicking here.

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