"We need your help. Period."
That's the key message from the United Way and the North Bay & District Labour Council, co-hosting the Tampon Tuesday initiative in North Bay.
Product donations will be collected at various locations throughout the community until March 15 and will be redistributed into the community through various organizations serving clients in need.
One in four Canadians has to make that choice between food or period products each month says a release from organizers.
"Nobody should have to pick between feeding their family and being able to afford menstrual hygiene products. Yet far too many individuals – especially those living in poverty – simply can’t afford them," says Cathy Seguin, Nipissing Community Engagement Coordinator.
Period poverty is the inability for a person to afford menstrual products and often turn to alternate ways to manage their period.
Women who don’t have access to menstrual products will often resort to wearing the same pad or tampon for prolonged periods of time, which can result in infections and even Toxic Shock Syndrome. TSS is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by bacteria getting into the body and releasing harmful toxins.
It's often associated with tampon use in young women,
Nearly one in seven Canadian girls have either left school early or missed school entirely because she did not have access to period products, which are among the least donated, yet most requested items at Food Banks
You can help by holding a collection drive. Get your workplace or business involved by contacting Seguin at 249.358.3330 or email [email protected].
You can also donate. Most requested products include pads, cloth pads, tampons, liners, diva cups, and period underwear.
Community donation bins are located across North Bay including Shoppers Drug Mart on Cassells, The Village-Canadore College, Chippewa High School, Canadore Aviation Campus, Royal Bank-Stockdale, Gateway Brewery, CFB North Bay-Recreation Centre.
It is estimated that Canadians who menstruate typically spend up to $6,000 in their lifetime on menstrual hygiene products. And those who live in more remote, rural and northern communities can expect to pay double the price for the same products found in larger urban communities.
