“Are those sandwiches, can I have one?” mumbled a middle-aged woman with a half-smoked cigarette between her lips. A bit shaky, she peered into the cardboard box full of sealed paper bags with PERIOD. stamped on each one.
“No, sorry these are menstrual products; did you need some?” asked Aydan Jane Garland-Miner, president and founder of the WSU Period chapter, as she smiled back to the stranger. Many homeless and women shelters in Spokane only focus on food and overnight services but lack the supply of menstrual products to those in need, said a shelter volunteer from Volunteers of America- Crosswalk of Spokane. Three other Period. club members joined Garland-Miner in distributing packed products to homeless shelters, women’s clinics and to those on the street in Spokane. The packed bags included nine pads and six tampons; enough for one month’s menstrual cycle said Garland-Miner. Almost one million menstruating women have been addressed nationally through Period’s product distribution since established in 2014, according to the international Period website. The Crisis Shelter for Women & Children in Spokane, top needs include tampons, among other normal necessities, according to their website. Tiffany Knieriem, a Crisis Shelter for Women & Children four-month resident, said menstrual products are entirely donated and are given to people on a first-come-first-serve basis. Garland-Miner said her favorite part about these trips were interacting with real people, she said the amount of kindness and gratitude she receives always surprised her. “Most people seem stoked to have us distributing menstrual products, whether they menstruate or not, which is great considering the stigma against menstruation,” said Garland-Miner. She approached every person without hesitation, ready to give her entire heart to that one person. Even if they say they don’t need the products, Garland-Miner wishes them a good day. Garland-Miner and her trusty sidekick, Alexa Branch, vice president of Period. at WSU, both strategized where and whom they would help next; the rest of the group followed without question. “Working with Aydan is wonderful. We have similar organizational methods, which works out nicely,” said Branch. With her five cups of coffee that day, Branch bounced off the walls of her car with excitement as the group drove shelter to shelter. Garland-Miner and Branch relied on each other to keep one another awake and hyped throughout the long daytrip. With over 600 registered campus chapters across the U.S. and in 30 other countries, the WSU chapter established last January and is one of 22 chapters in the state of Washington, according to the international Period website. The WSU Period. chapter goes to Guatemala this spring break to distribute feminine hygiene products to various villages. Ana Maria Rodriguez-Vivaldi and Kathy Beerman, co-directors of the Hearts in Motion Faculty-led Guatemala program, said they don’t know why they didn’t think of this idea before. Among other projects, Rodriguez-Vivaldi and Beerman said villagers lined up upon arrival for health services in past trips and see the distribution of the hygiene products having the same effect. Four out of 40 students on the trip are helping Branch with this project. They plan to distribute reusable pads as well as women’s vitamins and reusable hand towels to village women and young girls. Branch said she plans to reach out to multiple reusable pad companies for donations. Beerman said it would be wonderful if Branch brought 200 pads. Beerman said among these five villages, they have no access to healthcare or water so it’s important that the pads be reusable. She said she hopes to have biodegradable pads in the future to combat landfill and waste. Rodriguez-Vivaldi and Beerman said the amount of goods they bring over is limited this year because the airlines no longer let students check bags. Branch said she plans to bring a duffel bag full of as many pads as she can fit. Rodriguez-Vivaldi and Beerman said the students must remain culturally appropriate when discussing such matters that may be sensitive. Branch said she is working with Beerman to create a simple questionnaire to help women understand the product and usage. Branch said the language barrier will the biggest challenge. She said she’s going to have a native Spanish speaker translate the survey questions to the villagers. “I honestly don’t know how people are going to take the questions about menstruation because from what we understand, it’s not talked about down there, I’m assuming it’s probably going to make people uncomfortable,” said Branch. Branch said the villagers will receive products regardless if they answer her survey questions or not. She said she knows there’s going to be one girl she can help go back to school. Garland-Miner said she’s excited for all the information and statistics surrounding the stigma and period poverty that Branch will bring back from the trip. She said this information is the first step in addressing this issue not only in the U.S. but internationally. She said she thinks Branch could spark some inspiration in Guatemala to start their own Period. chapter. Club members aim to focus on distributing products in the Pullman and Moscow area next, including Family Promise, the Community Action Center, Sojourners Alliance and Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse, said Garland-Miner. “It’s going to be a really different experience from distributing in Spokane because the population of homeless people in this area is so sheltered, quiet and shielded,” said Garland-Miner. She said participating members will mostly likely be donating directly to shelters rather than on-street hand-outs like in Spokane but is excited to be directly impacting people in the community she lives in. Garland-Miner said she wants Period. to collaborate and sponsor these shelters in Pullman and Moscow in the next year-and-a-half. SOURCES Aydan Jane Garland-Miner 360-707-1542 Alexa Branch 316-765-3017 Tiffany Knieriem 509-535-0486 Joann Taylor 208-882-5574 Ana Maria Rodriguez-Vivaldi- [email protected] Kathy Beerman- [email protected]
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |