Week also marks 5th anniversary of Alliance for Period Supplies

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, UNITED STATES, May 17, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Period products are basic necessities that all individuals who menstruate require to maintain good health and participate in daily life. Yet, 2 in 5 people in the US struggle to afford these essential items, and it’s a public health issue recognized as period poverty.

On Monday, May 22, 2023, the Alliance for Period Supplies kicks off its annual Period Poverty Awareness Week to draw attention to the issue of period poverty and the negative impact it has on people who menstruate. The week, which marks the 5th anniversary of the Alliance for Period Supplies, concludes on Sunday, May 28 with the celebration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Among the activities planned for the week include: virtual Lobby Days meetings between allied programs and federal elected officials; webinars to raise awareness about the impact of period poverty; and a virtual screening (May 24) of “The Talk”, a short film focused on ending the stigma surrounding periods by normalizing conversations, especially related to first periods.

In addition, individuals and organizations across the country will participate: by hosting distribution events and/or product drives; elevating awareness of period poverty via social media; and advocating for changes in public policy to ensure equitable access to period supplies.

Since its founding in 2018, the Alliance for Period Supplies has expanded its membership to include more than 130 allied programs, each an independent nonprofit organization working in 40 US states and the District of Columbia. Since its launch in 2018, the Alliance for Period Supplies and its members have distributed more than 67 million menstrual products, and on average each month serve more than 100,000 individuals, including low-wage earners and/or people living in poverty. Today, Alliance for Period Supplies is among the leading organizations working to end period poverty in the US. In addition to building a vibrant network, the organization works with other national partners to promote legislation to: end the tampon tax; provide free period products in all public school restrooms; make period products as freely available as toilet paper in all restrooms of public buildings; provide free period products in prisons and jails; and fund sustainable, community-based period distribution programs.

“The Alliance for Period Supplies is continuing our work to build a world where no student has to miss school, no adult has to miss work, and no person misses out on daily life because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require,” said Joanne Samuel Goldblum, CEO National Diaper Bank Network | Alliance for Period Supplies.

As people with periods across the United States face growing need, the annual Period Poverty Awareness Week offers an opportunity for allied programs, organizations and elected officials, people who menstruate, and communities across the nation to take action to end period poverty.

About the Alliance for Period Supplies:
The Alliance for Period Supplies is an initiative of the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN)—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that leads a nationwide movement aimed at helping individuals and families who struggle to afford material basic needs. Launched in May 2018, with the support of founding sponsor U by Kotex^®, the Alliance for Period Supplies raises national awareness of period poverty (#endperiodpoverty) and supports the development and expansion of period supply programs in communities throughout the country. The organization is composed of allied programs that collect, warehouse and distribute menstrual/period supplies in local communities. More information on Alliance for Period Supplies is available at allianceforperiodsupplies.org, and on Twitter and Instagram (@periodsupplies) and Facebook (facebook.com/AllianceForPeriodSupplies).

More information about period poverty can be found here.

Troy Moore
National Diaper Bank Network | Alliance for Period Supplies
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