Owings Mills Branch To Host A 'Period Action Drive' To Fight Period Poverty

From the Baltimore County Public Library:

August 22, 2019 | By Baltimore County Public Library

Did you know that one in four women in the United States struggled to afford period products last year? Pads and tampons are expensive, but can’t be purchased with funds from government assistance programs such as the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Coping with menstruation is especially challenging for people living below the poverty line or experiencing homelessness. For women who are already struggling to make ends meet, it often means a choice between food or menstrual products every month.

About Period Poverty

This lack of access to menstrual products is called period poverty and it’s not just a problem in underdeveloped nations. In Baltimore County, “there is a definitive need for these items amongst individuals experiencing homelessness,” according to Homeless Outreach Coordinator Maggie Carnegie of Prologue, Inc., which distributes menstrual products on a weekly basis.

Join the Period Action Drive (PAD) and Packing Party

Period poverty often goes unaddressed because of the taboo around menstruation. So, let’s talk about periods! The Owings Mills Branch is hosting a Period Action Drive (PAD) to collect pads and tampons for people in need from July 15 to August 29. All donations will be distributed to Prologue and the Community Crisis Center.

We’re inviting girls in grades six through 12 to join us for the PAD Packing Party on Thursday, August 29, to package the donations into kits that provide products for a complete monthly cycle. It’s a safe space for girls to openly discuss any problems they are facing, give back to the community and learn more about period poverty.

Related Materials

Baltimore County Public Library has many materials on periods, self-esteem and other wellness topics for teen girls.

• National Public Radio (NPR)—"Periods! Why These 8th-Graders Weren’t Afraid to Talk About Them"
• CBS News—"The Price of Getting a Period in America"
• Teen Vogue—"Period Taboo Around the World"

About the Blog Author

Sade Wilkins El is interning this summer at the Owings Mills Branch as part of the Public Library Association’s Inclusive Internship Initiative. She is a rising high school senior interested in library careers and creating safe spaces for teens in libraries.

This press release was produced by the Baltimore County Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.