As part of their Period Promise campaign, United Way BC is partnering with the City of Penticton to host drop-off locations for menstrual products at city hall, the Penticton Community Centre and the Penticton Public Library.
“Growing inflationary pressures has put that much more of a strain on people who menstruate to potentially decide between purchasing groceries or basic hygiene products,” said Jamie Lloyd-Smith, social development specialist at the city. “Eliminating barriers to people who menstruate – including women, girls, nonbinary people and trans folk – is one way to advance health equity and eliminate poverty in our community.”
United Way BC also administers micro-grants through the Period Promise Local Love Fund to local nonprofit organizations to purchase period products for their vulnerable clients. Earlier this year, Foundry Penticton received a $500 grant to purchase period boxers for trans and gender-diverse youth.
“Being able to put on gender-affirming boxers as a non-binary person gives me a euphoric feeling. I don’t feel ashamed when it happens anymore and I know I can face my day confidently,” said one recipient.
Many Pentictonites are struggling to afford menstrual products due to the rising cost of living and inflationary increases. It’s a common problem across the province.
According to Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index, the cost of personal care items like tampons and pads is up 6.2 per cent compared to last year. More people lacking menstrual products leads to more missed days of school and work and missed social and community events, all of which limit one’s access to critical opportunities and ability to thrive.
United Way BC’s 2023 Period Promise campaign, presented by Pacific Blue Cross in partnership with CUPE Local 1816, offers a solution: British Columbians can tackle period poverty from May 16 to June 13 by giving financially and donating period products.
“The cost-of-living crisis and the existing stigma around talking about periods means that many people who menstruate go without the products they need in order to have a good quality of life,” says Naomi Woodland, community impact and investment coordinator for the South Okanagan region.
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