Portland event to combat period poverty through donations of menstrual products

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Positive Charge! PDX hosted a collection event over the weekend to combat period poverty, encouraging the community to donate menstrual and hygiene products.

The initiative, part of the Period Power Project, aims to support low-income individuals who struggle to afford these essential items.

Sallie Cohen from Period Power highlighted the issue, stating, “One in three low-income women and girls reports missing work, school, or similar commitment due to a lack of access to period supplies.”

Specifically in the U.S., one in four students miss class due to a lack of access to period supplies.

Oregonians are not exempt; One in seven menstruating women and girls between the ages of 12 and 44 live below the federal poverty level, and 13% of female students in Oregon’s public school grades 7-12 attend Title I eligible schools.

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The project, running from May 10 to May 30, coincides with Period Poverty Awareness Week and World Menstrual Hygiene Day. It invites Oregonians to contribute by donating products at various drop-off sites across Portland, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, and Oregon City.

Abby Menashe, co-leader of the project, emphasized the impact of period poverty, saying, “Many of our own low-income neighbors—think people living under the federal poverty threshold, refugees, migrant farmworkers, and the houseless—struggle to afford menstrual products.”

The public can also participate in a “Packing Party” on June 1 at Ida B. Wells High School, where donated items will be assembled into Period Packs. These packs will be distributed through local organizations to those in need.

For more information on how to help, visit PositiveChargePDX.org.

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