During the pandemic, I was filled with uncertainty and always found comfort in volunteering and giving back to the community. One day the question popped into my head: what are girls who relied on the nurse's office for period products doing now that school is virtual? This led me down a path of discovery about a serious problem - period poverty. 1 in 3 low income menstruators report missing work, school or events due to inadequate access to period products. I reached out to the superintendent and asked if I could make period kits for the school to distribute along with their meal program. She loved the idea and Free Flow New Mexico was born.
There is no federal program that supports the purchase of period products, so Free Flow is able to provide our period kits to over a hundred different organizations between Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. We didn't stop there, as we all know periods don't wait, so we decided to set up kiosks or "Period Pods" outside libraries and medical clinics where people can have 24/7 access to period kits. The kiosks are decorated by local artists, which is a conversation starter and helps reduce the stigma around periods.
Research shows that when individuals are provided with free period products, instead of missing on average 7.8 work and school days per year, that number drops to 1.3. That can be the difference of staying employed and staying enrolled. Up next, we are creating Period Cupboards, which will supply individuals with full packages of their choice and enough to last them 3-4 months. For me, giving back to community creates a stability in a world of uncertainty.
There is no federal program that supports the purchase of period products, so Free Flow is able to provide our period kits to over a hundred different organizations between Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico. We didn't stop there, as we all know periods don't wait, so we decided to set up kiosks or "Period Pods" outside libraries and medical clinics where people can have 24/7 access to period kits. The kiosks are decorated by local artists, which is a conversation starter and helps reduce the stigma around periods.
Research shows that when individuals are provided with free period products, instead of missing on average 7.8 work and school days per year, that number drops to 1.3. That can be the difference of staying employed and staying enrolled. Up next, we are creating Period Cupboards, which will supply individuals with full packages of their choice and enough to last them 3-4 months. For me, giving back to community creates a stability in a world of uncertainty.