By Judy O’Gorman Alvarez
RUMSON – People of all ages have heard the idioms and euphemisms for the menstrual cycle: having a period, a monthly visitor, Aunt Flo, being on the rag. But despite a natural process that affects nearly half the world’s population from puberty to menopause, many often do not have access to menstrual products.
And if you think those problems only affect those in developing countries, statistics right here in the Garden State are alarming: 1 in 4 miss school because they do not have access to period products; 1 in 5 miss work due to the same reason.
The Junior League of Monmouth County is trying to do something about that by launching the Period Project to raise awareness of “period poverty” – the inability to access or afford menstrual products – and expand period supply programs within the community.
“During lockdown in 2020 we rallied around providing meals for families in Red Bank,” said Alexandra McMenamy, president of the Junior League of Monmouth County. “Providing a full grocery package for families is challenging when donations are sporadic and random.”
“So we looked at other strains on budgets for people struggling,” said Morgan Gaynor, director of community for the chapter.
What they realized as they interviewed organizers of food pantries, diaper banks and soup kitchens was “a lot of clients are asking for period products,” she said. “And they didn’t have a reliable stream of them coming in. When they got them, they went out as quickly as they came in.”
What was just as surprising was there didn’t seem to be an organization dedicated to distributing menstrual products.
“That’s when we decided: Let’s do it,” said Gaynor.
Junior Leaguers are known for tackling a problem in the community and throwing their time and talents into finding a solution. The Monmouth County chapter of the nonprofit women’s volunteer organization, based in Rumson, is aimed at improving communities.
“Junior Leagues are across the country and our chapter has been here for 82 years,” said McMenamy. “We are considered a smaller size league with a big impact.”
They reached out to the club’s 300 active and sustaining members. Through word of mouth and social media pages, they collected 14,000 feminine hygiene products since March 2021.
“Right now we’re working with one organization, Trinity Church’s Social Justice program in Asbury Park,” said Gaynor, “but we’re hoping to include more distribution partners.”
Last month, the league unveiled its Free Period Product Pantry on the club’s front lawn.
“We held an all-women vendor market that resulted in a collection of 2,500 products,” she said.
An average person spends $200 per year on period supplies. If more than one woman in a household is of menstruating age, the expense can be daunting. Federal and state programs, such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) cannot be used to buy toilet paper, diapers or menstrual products.
“If a woman has to decide between buying formula for their child or a pad,” said Gaynor, “of course they’re going to buy the formula.”
Consulting with The Flow Initiative, another New Jersey-based nonprofit working to end period poverty, McMenamy shared the examples of desperation people are forced to resort to when menstrual products are not available. “Many have used newspapers or gym socks or toilet paper,” she said. Or they try to stretch the product’s usage. “That opens up all sorts of risks including possible infections.”
“We’ve also been focusing on access, to getting these products” wherever someone happens to be when they need it, said McMenamy, a mother of two daughters. “If a girl gets her period at school, she has to ask the teacher, who sends her to the nurse. Many times products are just not readily available at every school.”
And she points out, women often deal with limited supplies, empty or broken – or nonexistent – tampon machines in restrooms. “They’re not in every public bathroom.”
Getting menstrual products in the hands of the individuals who need them is just one part of the initiative.
“There’s a stigma around period products,” and they’d like to remove the uncomfortable or embarrassing feelings men – and women – may have when discussing menstruation. “Part of this is talking about it,” said McMenamy. “Bringing awareness to the topic.”
Another component of the Poverty Period Project is period safety.
Menstrual toxic shock syndrome, a rare but life-threatening multisystemic illness caused by a release of toxins and bacteria released into the blood stream, is associated with tampon use. Don’t Shock Me Foundation, a New Jersey nonprofit, works to spread awareness and create legislative change around menstrual toxic shock awareness education.
“We want to make sure women are aware of the dangers,” said Gaynor. “And it’s not only important for women and girls, but also it’s important the men in their lives know these signs and symptoms because it can happen so quickly. And it can be lethal.”
The period pantry is just a start, according to Gaynor, who is an ovarian cancer survivor, and invested in women’s health issues.
“We want to work together with other organizations like the Girl Scouts and schools to talk about period poverty. And work with legislators to come up with solutions.”
They’re also looking for community partners who will install Period Pantries, like the one at the chapter’s headquarters. The league will keep the pantry filled with menstrual products available to the community 24 hours a day.
“Every woman experiences menstruation at some point in their lives and that’s half the world’s population,” said Gaynor. “We should be comfortable having these conversations.”
The article originally appeared in the December 2 – 8, 2021 print edition of The Two River Times.
