GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Communities are coming together ahead of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to show support for patients and survivors.

RP Photography is a small photography business in Green Bay that has partnered with Aurora Bay Health to create a campaign that highlights the beauty of ten women who have battled or are battling Breast Cancer. Jessica Winkel is the business development manager at Bay Care Clinic one of the main organizers for the ‘Face of Breast Cancer’ campaign.

“We put a call out to breast cancer patients locally where we have ten spots, and it was a first come first serve basis,” said Winkel. “We asked them to participate in a portrait program where they would get their hair and makeup done, receive a portrait, and then be willing to talk about their cancer journey and share some of that vulnerability with us so people can have an understanding of what they go through and they can take away that beautiful picture.”

Makeovers and photo shoots can make you feel like you’re most beautiful self and that is exactly what RP Photography has done for the selected Breast Cancer patients and survivors. Rachael Phillips is the owner of the business and the photographer in charge of the shoot and tells Local 5’s Samantha Petters how it feels to be able to capture the beauty of these women.

“It’s definitely been emotional but it has been a great learning experience and has really opened my eyes to what they go through,” said Phillips. “I always ask them what their plans or goals for the future look like and I’ve heard some awesome and inspiring things like traveling more or learning to truly appreciate my family and my children.”

The ‘Faces of Breast Cancer campaign provides patients, survivors, and thrivers the chance to share their stories while getting their hair and makeup done for a photo shoot but it also gives the women a chance to feel confident in their own skin and express their feelings about their journey. Korissa Diehl is one of those women and shares what this experience means to her.

“I think that cancer patients are the strongest people that I will ever know and I think that giving us opportunities to share our stories are so incredibly important for that empowerment and for that hope,” said Diehl. “When you go through cancer, I mean it’s ugly, you lose your hair and you go through treatment, you’re not feeling good, you’re sick, and then all of a sudden you get to come to an event like this and you get pampered a little bit and they do your hair and makeup, it shows a little bit of beauty in all of the ugly that you go through and we need to hang on to that beauty.”

In October, a montage of the women who participated in the campaign is expected to be displayed in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.