Donate a box of tampons; make an impact

By Barbara Young, special to The Review

What if I told you, that for the price of a latte you could purchase an item that had the power to transform a person’s life?  Small in size, mighty in stature; this simple but powerful item is the tampon.

Why is this little item so vital?  What would you do when it’s “that time of the month” and you can’t afford to buy a tampon?  A year ago, on public radio, I heard a young woman tell of a time in high school where she and her friends, who were all experiencing homelessness, scrounged for garbage to absorb their monthly menstrual flow.  For obvious reasons, those high schoolers didn’t attend school during their monthly cycle.  Missing so much school puts them behind and many of them ended up dropping out. Not having easy access to menstrual products creates “period poverty,” posing an enormous obstacle for staying in school, completing an education, or showing up for a job.  

Menstrual products are obviously not a luxury; they are a necessity of life. Once a person begins to menstruate, the flow is 24/7 for an average of six days.  No holidays, no days off… and then it repeats itself every 28 days, and stays for the next 35 years. This represents approximately 3,500 days of menstrual flow or 10 years of a person’s life! Many households that have low-incomes or don’t have homes simply can’t afford this necessity they will need every single month. One recent study found that 46 percent of low-income people had to choose between period products and a meal.*   

With the money you spend on a latte, buy a box of tampons instead and drop off your donation to a T2P2 Drive!  So simple and yet so powerful; for the price of a latte you can begin to change a life. Do you have individually-wrapped tampons or pads at home that you won’t use? Simply put them in a baggie and bring them in! 

Thanks for Helping People Period!