In observance of Period Poverty Awareness Week (May 20-28) and Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28), the Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership and its community partners are launching a county-wide period supply drive during the month of May.

Join us as we work to end period poverty in St. Mary’s County!

Click here to download and share our supply drive flyer!

Period Poverty

In the United States, 1 in 4 women struggled to purchase period products within the past year due to lack of income*. In addition, 1 in 5 low-income women report missing work, school or similar events due to lack of access to period supplies*. We believe all menstruators have the right to feel comfortable and clean, during their cycles.

*Source: 2018 U by Kotex survey conducted with YouGov

The following tips and tools were created for local businesses, organizations, and community members who would like to make a difference by hosting a period product drive to benefit St. Mary’s County residents in need.

This toolkit includes: 

Let’s Get Started!

How to Host a Period Product Drive 

1. Accessible Location: Gain the support of the community by making it convenient to donate! Ensuring that the location for the collection site is easily accessible will generate greater participation. 
2. Decide on a Time Frame: Plan to host your period supply drive for at least a week, or longer so people have enough time to donate. Perhaps you can partner with an already planned event! 
3. Get the Word Out: Announce your period supply drive through social media, press releases to local media and post notices near the locations to donate! One of the best ways to advertise is word of mouth so be sure to talk about the drive to anyone and everyone. Ask friends, family, colleagues, or neighbors to help out!
4. Set Goals! How many donations would you like to raise? Develop a way to keep track of your progress to ensure you are meeting your goals. 

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Period Supply Drive Ideas 

1. Themes: Picking a theme can make your period supply drive standout! Themes can be simple as “Girls helping Girls”, Stuff a Bus, or more creative like a themed dinner dance for period supplies!
2. Make it a competition: Make your period supply drive fun and engaging! Have a competition and offer small prizes or recognition for the team, class or office that brings in the most products amongst your organization’s employees, workgroups, etc. Friendly competition can help spread the word and increase turnout.

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Social Media Tips 

Social media is a highly effective tool to reach a large amount of people in very little time. Take advantage of your online presence and notify as many people as possible to participate in your period supply drive. 

Example of a social media graphic.

Facebook 

• Create a Facebook “Event” and invite all of those that follow the page. This is a great way to keep track of interest and to post updates on your collection status. 
• Share your story (create posts with all the drive details or even film a Facebook Live).
• Create a shareable profile picture frame.
• Thank donors by giving them a shout out and tagging them in your posts.
• Upload plenty of photos and use the universal hashtag #EndPeriodPoverty or #AddPads in your posts.

X (Twitter)

• Tweet before, during, and after your fundraiser. Let your supporters know how planning is going, how close you are to your goal, and the results!
• Share a link to your Facebook event, or fundraising page where followers can learn more about your period supply drive and period poverty.
• Remember to include the hashtag #EndPeriodPoverty and any other relevant tags in your tweets!

Instagram 

• Share pictures of your period supply drive flyer.
• Utilize the location tagging tool to share your collection sites.
• Remember to hashtag #EndPeriodPoverty and any other relevant hashtags that may draw interest to your posts!

Get Personal: Send an Email!

Emails are an effective tool to utilize throughout your period supply drive. Personalize your message and go into detail on why you are hosting a period supply drive and would like the individual or company to participate. Explain what you are collecting, where, and of course, your goal.

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Social Media Sample Posts/Captions  

• I believe everyone has the right to feel comfortable and clean. Please show support by donating to my period supply drive! (insert graphic with details on period supply drive)
• Did you know 2 in 5 people with periods have struggled with #periodpoverty? Please donate to our period supply drive to help change that.
• Small things impact big things. That is why we’re holding a period supply drive. Please consider giving today (add time + location details)
• Lack of period products is a hidden consequence of poverty. Help us reach our goal today and donate to our period supply drive! Every bit counts. 
• Help make a difference in an individual’s life today. Donate to our period supply drive that will be taking place in (location) 
• #PeriodPoverty Fact: School aged girls cannot participate in educational activities without access to fundamental resources. Please consider donating to our period supply drive!
• Did you know that individuals require an average of 6 period products per day, and period supplies aren’t covered by safety net programs? #EndPeriodPoverty (insert drive flyer)

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Period Supply Drive Checklist 

• Recruit Volunteers, if possible: ask friends, family, colleagues, or neighbors to help out! 
• Set Your Goals! Think about how many donations you would like to raise. It may also help to develop a way to track your progress. (Use the goal chart, which can be found in the “Additional Resources Section”!)
• Spread the Word: Announce your period supply drive via social media, emails, local news outlets, and notices throughout your community. Be active before AND during the drive!
• Collect and Deliver: Rally the volunteers and deliver your donated period products to the health department. Don’t forget to take photos – you’ll need them later!
• Decide on your theme: Whether it’s a themed party, a competition, or a simple period supply drive in your office, choose what works for you!
• Share your results: Post pictures on social media and let everyone know your results! Don’t forget to thank donors and volunteers too!

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Additional Resources

We would like to thank and credit the Alliance for Period Supplies for providing us with the verbiage for our toolkit, in addition to the goal sheet, product collection form, fact sheet, and the supply drive flyer. We appreciate and admire your dedication to serving communities affected by period poverty.