Second Harvest collects 70K+ period products for girls, women in need

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Second Harvest of the Big Bend announced Wednesday the food bank has sourced more than 70,000 period products to distribute to girls and women in need in the Big Bend.

The announcement was made with pioneers of a local Period Poverty movement at the Pace Center for Girls.

The Period Poverty initiative was launched in February 2021 by a group of concerned citizens in an effort to cultivate local partnerships to help source and provide equitable access to menstrual hygiene products and to educate and advocate to end menstruation stigma.

“It’s unthinkable, and yet thousands of women and girls in our community suffer every month, often missing school or work because they cannot afford basic menstrual hygiene products,” said Monique Van Pelt, the CEO of Second Harvest. “By adding pads and tampons to our inventory and making them available to our partner agencies, we can do our part to help ensure equitable distribution of these essential products throughout the community.”

School board members and elected officials, including Sen. Lorrane Ausley, Rep. Allison Tant, Mayor John Dailey and County Commission Chair Rick Minor, attended and thanked Period Poverty campaign members for spearheading the local movement for menstrual equity, and expressed appreciation to the individuals, businesses and volunteers who have supported this important initiative.