Let's talk period poverty. It's a thing.
Did you know that in the US 1 in 5 girls miss school because she does not have access to the products she needs when she has her period? Yes, this is happening in 2019. Menstrual hygiene is a right, not a privilege. Let’s take a closer look at the Denver metro area…
On January 28, 2019 Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI) conducted the 2019 Point in Time (PIT) count. This count occurs annually nationwide usually during the last 10 days of January and is regionally referred to as Everyone Counts.
The 2019 PIT conducted in the seven-county Denver metro area identified 5,755 people experiencing homelessness. Families with children under 18 accounted for 24% of the overall population that night for a total of 1,402 persons, or 429 households.
According to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless Women and Homelessness Brief, there are 3,880 women known to be experiencing homelessness in Colorado. “Women in all racial and ethnic groups experience higher poverty rates than white men, which causes significant challenges to housing security.”
Colorado Center on Law and Policy stated in their 2018 Self Sufficiency Standard for Colorado report, “Almost two out of three single mothers lack income adequate to meet their basic needs.” At Period Kits, we know this first-hand. We recently received an email from a new mother who was faced with the monthly challenge of choosing between diapers for her baby and period products for herself. She consistently chooses diapers. We were thrilled that she reached out so we could get her the products that she needs.
When Period Kits provides our 90-day supply kits to our Community Partners, we know that more of their budget can be used to provide the services that support their mission.
If you would like to learn more about Period Kits and how you can become a part of the community working to ensure that everyone who has a period has the products they need when they need them, please SUBSCRIBE to our community.
It’s about DIGNITY. Period.
