KIND’s social services teams are always forging new partnerships with other organizations to better serve our clients. Recently, several offices have partnered with menstrual awareness and equality organizations.
KIND’s Los Angeles and Fresno Offices Partner with Period Poverty Organization
KIND’s Los Angeles and Fresno offices recently joined forces with Sisters on the Street, an organization devoted to ending period poverty. What is period poverty? In the words of Sisters on the Street:
Half of the population menstruates. We all know plenty of people that have a period. But not everyone knows that one in four people struggle to purchase period supplies due to lack of income. This is called period poverty, and chances are we each know someone who has experienced this need – a neighbor, a co-worker, a friend.
In June, Sisters on the Street generously donated $3,000 of female hygiene products to these offices to provide to the youth we serve. The donation is especially important because one of the goals of KIND’s Los Angeles social services teams is to reduce period poverty for clients, and in California one-third of low-income people with a uterus report missing work, school, or other commitments due to lack of access to period supplies. “The numbers are likely higher for BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) individuals and even more so for immigrant children,” Diana Diaz Madera, social services supervisor for KIND’s Los Angeles and Fresno offices. “Many schools offer menstrual products, but the girls and youth with wombs who need these free resources have nowhere to go during summer.”
Social services coordinators at KIND’s Los Angeles and Fresno offices distributed the donated menstrual products at a recent KIND event and keep them on hand in the office. “Offering menstrual pads and other hygiene products to clients is one way we build rapport with clients,” said Diana.
Dennise Onchi-Molina, social services coordinator for KIND’s Los Angeles office who managed this partnership explained, “We have a donation room where we keep the products donated from different partners. We keep it fully stocked to help meet a wide range of basic needs for the clients that come through our doors.” Diana, Dennise, and the rest of the social services team tell clients to stop by and grab what they need whenever they are in the office. “Kids are sometimes intimidated by the office, so inviting them to the donation room is a nice way to be welcoming, break the ice, and start more conversations with them,” said Diana. The offices also partner with Dignity Not Despair, an organization that donates hygiene products such as shampoo, conditioner, and make-up.
KIND’s New Jersey Office Offers Menstrual Education and Products to Clients
At KIND’s New Jersey office, Social Services Intern Nathalie Leonardo created a menstrual and fertility education project to share information and distribute menstruation products to clients. Nathalie noted that in conversations with many clients, they did not link their periods to fertility or did not know how to track their cycle or the last time they menstruated. “There is a stigma around the topic of menstruation, which is why there is a disconnect and many people do not know the facts,” she said.
Nathalie created informational handouts for clients that explained the menstrual phases and fertility cycle, debunked myths about menstruation, showcased experiences of women around the world with period poverty, and provided tips on how to have conversations about menstruation. She established partnerships with two organizations, Girls Helping Girls Period and Flow Forward NJ, which donated menstrual products along with additional educational materials about how to track periods and explaining menstruation and fertility. Nathalie distributed the educational sheets and menstrual products at a table during the office’s Health and Wellness Fair in March. Nathalie shared:
Clients took the informational sheets and menstrual products, and we talked about menstruation. Some clients were shy. It’s difficult because we’re taught to hide this stuff— it’s taboo. Some clients said they had never had direct conversations about menstruation and never knew how to approach the topic, what kind of questions to ask, or that it was important to have these conversations. Other clients shared that paying for menstrual products is a financial burden.
KIND’s New Jersey office plans to continue this initiative and continue to donate menstrual products in the office as well as at their back-to-school event in August.
KIND’s Boston Office Distributes Menstrual Supplies for Clients
KIND’s Boston office gives out hygiene kits for clients, which for girls and clients with wombs include menstrual products that may not be easily accessible to them otherwise. Social services coordinators also have menstrual products available in the office for when clients need them and included period supplies as part of their back-to-school wishlist.
