Period Poverty and the Boise Organization Helping Fight It

To this day there is still a ridiculous stigma about women having periods. Sure, people are comfortable making jokes about us being on them when we are in a bad mood, but real talk about menstruation is often regarded as "gross" and we're told to "keep that to yourself!" But almost all persons with female reproductive organs experience menstruation in their lives. It's a natural biological function and it's a bummer to be shamed for it. It's put on the back burner so much, how often have you given thought to period poverty?

When we think of the impoverished, food, clothing, and shelter come to mind immediately and there are countless food and clothing drives to help those in need. And that's awesome. But women who can't afford food, clothing, or shelter very likely can't afford sanitary products for their monthly cycles. And the stigma around menstruation can keep from speaking up about it.

As stated on their website, Boise Period Project "gather(s) menstrual products to create period packs for those experiencing period poverty in Boise. We distribute and connect directly to the community and homeless shelters. We also aim to end stigmas that surround both periods and poverty."

If you want to get involved by donating, you can drop off the following products at the Boise Period Project Office:
- Unscented tampons
- Individually wrapped cleansing wipes
- travel hand sanitizer
- menstrual cups

For the time being they are not accepting pad donations because they have so many. I personally would suggest menstrual cups because they are reusable and can be worn for a more extended period of time than a tampon, which may be helpful in situations of poverty. But of course any of these listed items are great.