#thehomelessperiod

[avanilondon]

Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much” – Helen Keller.

Dear Friends,

I'd like to introduce myself - I'm Pind, the founder of Avani London.  I wanted to take the opportunity to use the Avani London blog to reach out to you personally about an important cause that we will be supporting over the next few months and to explain why we have pictures of tampons all over our homepage.  

I'm sure I speak for most of us when I say that there's never a good time to have your period.  Now imagine you're living on the streets with no sanitary products available to you and you are forced to improvise with socks and newspaper in a public toilet.  Doesn't bear thinking about, does it?

Well, at Avani London HQ, we are thinking about it.  

That's why over the month of December we will be donating a proportion of our profits to buying as many sanitary products as possible and donating them to London foodbanks.  

If you're shopping on the Avani London website, you can be assured that you're already supporting the cause as we'll be donating 50% of our profits to the cause however, there are additional things you can do to help;

You can donate to our cause.  Even as little as £1 can help a woman get through her period.  

You can spread the word to your friends and followers (there's no such thing as 'not enough' followers);

Sanitary products are needed all year so if you live near a food bank (and there are so many of them around), please do donate to your local foodbanks.  You can find a list of them here.  

Thank you in advance for your support, and in case I do not hijack the Avani London blog again beforehand, very best wishes for the festive season.  

We look forward to sharing our progress with you.

Pind, Aman and G

The Team at Avani HQ

[thehopefulheroines]

✨You never see a bowl of free tampons and pads, but you do see a bowl of condoms. Women need easier access to supplies. Women on the street are given a few tampons they can get from shelters and drop-in centers, but it isn’t enough. All women have this. This isn’t something that we’re choosing. Every single woman has to deal with period, which is not something that should be taken advantage of. Menstruation is a lot harder to refrain from than sex. We are made to feel that our periods are a burden in life, and men and boys because of biology don’t have to deal with it. We need to bring worth and respect back to young girls and women regarding their periods. People ask why should taxpayers pay for tampons and pads? Because tampons shouldn’t be labeled as a luxury product. That’s like saying taking a shit is a luxury. It makes no sense. This is something women should have to ask for. Menstrual products are essential items we need to manage our health and our lives.✨ • • #hopefulheroines #freetheperiod #period #empowerment #friday #thehomelessperiod

[misshorrorotaku]

It’s so stupid that the homeless group that gets the most aid doesn’t even recieve proper aid for their needs.

[freakpplco]

Having a period is difficult enough, imagine trying to cope with it while living on the streets.  27% of Canadian identified women are homeless. Many of them are forced to choose between a meal, or tampons/pads.  These items are essential necessities, yet they are so difficult for homeless women to attain.  Not only are they extremely expensive, homeless shelters have a limited supply and tend to give out very minimal.

My social initiative Power Packs contains a variety of feminine products, to help ease the pain of periods of homeless women.  The packs include tampons, pads, wipes and underwear. They will be donated to homeless shelters across the city of Toronto, in attempt to help as many women as possible.

Remember how privileged you are to be able to afford a box of tampons or pads, when “that time of the month” comes around.  Next time it comes, pick up an extra box and donate it to a homeless shelter near you to help the homeless women in your community.

[ostelling7]

#homeless #support #thehomelessperiod #homelessness #help #campaign #uni #degree #stories #change #reaction #greatful #information #thankyou

[framewerkbelfast]

Last week 50% of sanitary care donations to us came from men. Big up our brothers, there is no shame! Thanks to everyone for your kind donations and they will soon be making their way to vulnerable women on the streets of Belfast. Daughters, Sisters and Mothers who aren't afforded basic sanitary necessities by a system that is not working. Please keep coming in and supporting #thehomelessperiod with underwear, wipes, tampons and sanitary towels. They go right to the people that need them. (at Framewerk)

[theother-364-blog]

Day 173: We posted an article about period poverty back in March, but this article in Refinery29 also focuses on women living on the streets who have little or no access to sanitary products. #thehomelessperiod campaign went some way towards raising awareness but more can still be done at a governmental level. Read the full article on our blog via the link in the bio: http://bit.ly/2eTF0sC

[advocatingforwomen]

Such a sad thing that people have to choose whether to buy food or menstruation products. But we do have amazing organizations like @femproject that supply the homeless population of #LA with menstruation products. If you are passionate about stuff like this give FemProject a follow and go to femproject.org/subscribe to sign up for FemProjects monthly newsletter the GirlGram! When you subscribe you will be kept updated on what FemProject is up too and many more things! 🌸 #fembassador #femproject #periods #thehomelessperiod

[thegenderdiscussion]

References

Always (no date). Always want to help #EndPeriodPoverty to keep girls in school & confident. [Online] [Accessed on 26th October 2019]

https://always.com/en-us/about-us/end-period-poverty

Always (no date). Helping Girls Across the World. [Online] [Accessed on 24th October 2019]

https://always.com/en-us/about-us/girl-empowerment-throughout-the-world-with-always

Always (No Date) Image of a woman sorting through Always donations. [Online Image] [Accessed on 26th October 2019]

https://always.com/en-us/about-us/end-period-poverty

BBC News (2019). ‘Free sanitary products scheme expands in Scotland.’ BBC News. [Online] 17th January. [Accessed on 26th October 2019]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-46904775

Buckley, T., Gottlieb, A. (1988) Blood Magic: the anthropology of menstruation. California: University of California Press

Period Positive (No Date) A Period Postive Pledge. [Online Image] [Accessed on 19th October 2019]

https://periodpositive.wordpress.com/

Period Positive Wordpress (No Date) The Period Positive Pledge. Period Positive. [Online] [Accessed on 19th October 2019]

https://periodpositive.wordpress.com/

Quint, C. (2019) ‘From embodied shame to reclaiming the stain: Reflections on a career in menstrual activism’ The Sociological Review. 64(4) pp. 927-942

Rodino-Colocino, M. (2012) ‘Misogyny’ in Koust, M. (ed.) Encyclopaedia of gender in media. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, pp.235-236

Stockton, R. (2015) Let It Bleed: A Peoples History Of Menstruation. 1st March. All that’s interesting. [Online] [Accessed on 16th October 2019]  

https://allthatsinteresting.com/menstruation-history

The Homeless Period (No Date) A statement made for #TheHomelessPeriod. [Online Image] [Accessed on 26th October 2019]

thehomelessperiod.com/

The Jaded Project (2018). Period Poverty. 31st January. [Online] [Accessed on 23rd October 2019]

https://www.thejadedproject.org/woman/2018/2/20/period-poverty-low-income-families-in-uk

The New York Times (2013) Women in Nepal are Exiled Each Month [Online Video] [Accessed on 8th October 2019]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgQ54CZ6uLQ&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3AhOIUCTIn0gZVhLBcjmFVfU9wT8TV2UwRSPgMez6gj1SqtVhcT3O7L90

Ulsperger, J. S. (2014) ‘Taboo’ in Forsyth, C. J, Copes, H. (ed.) Encyclopaedia of Social Deviance. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications. pp. 727-728

Vasavan, T. (2017) 7 facts about period poverty in the UK. Global Women Connected. [Online] [Accessed on 22nd October 2019]

http://www.globalwomenconnected.com/2017/11/5-facts-period-poverty-uk/

Yakupitiyage, T. (2019) ‘Break the Menstrual Taboo’ IPS Inter Press Service [Online] 8th March. [Accessed on 7th October 2019]

https://go-gale-com.mmu.idm.oclc.org/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&u=mmucal5&id=GALE|A577496756&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon

[honestypolicy3410]

If worst comes to worst, you have multiple options.

If you are at a school, I’d recommend you go to your school nurse or ask a teacher or staff member. If you have SROs at your school, in my experience some of them carry tampons, too. If you are more comfortable with pads, your best bet would be the nurses office.

If you are not at a school or public building, go to a medical clinic. They in my experience provide free condoms as well. You can also go to a homeless shelter or a woman’s shelter.

There are also a multitude of nonprofit organizations which are meant solely to help women have access to menstrual products. Off the top of my head, here are a couple that I know of (in case you’d like to learn their names):

Alliance for Period Supplies

Free the Period

A Woman’s Worth Inc.

#HappyPeriod

Women In Training

Pads4Girls

Days for Girls

She Supply

Freedom4Girls

Cora

#TheHomelessPeriod

Support the Girls

One4Her

Please add more if you know of any.

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Here is a homeless shelter directory by state for the United States of America.

— — —

Here are some links to the aforementioned organizations:

http://www.daysforgirls.org (Tumblr sucks w/ formatting, but the link should work)

— — —

If you have anything to add that would be helpful, but please only do so if you are being helpful. This isn’t a discourse post. Of course, please take a look at the tags for any additional information or potential triggers. Thank you and have a nice day.

uhhh

[twonio]

Can we all think about this for a moment?

This is especially relevant to fellow brits:

We seriously need to deal with the issue of women's sanitary care in homeless shelters.

There still isn't enough attention for this issue - in our UK homeless shelters, even though things like free razors, condoms and birth control is provided, sanitary pads still haven't been prioritised.

This is something we really must deal with.

I just wanted to let anybody who reads this know that this is important, and if anyone is interested in helping, you can follow @thehomelessperiod for more information on how you can make a difference.

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

[fyreneiss]

@Regrann from @sharethedignityaustralia - When was the last time you had your period but didn't have access to pads or tampons? Would you help a friend out? Have you ever had to make a pad from toilet paper, newspaper or hand towels? Have you ever had to choose between buying tampons and pads or feeding your children? Have you ever had to miss school when you had period because your family couldn't afford pads and tampons for you? Have you ever had to clean yourself in a public toilet? Pause and think about these questions for a moment These are problems some Australian women face every day. Women who are already doing it tough - homeless, those who have fled domestic violence. No woman should suffer indignity at a time when she needs dignity the most. Sanitary items are a right they are not a privilege. Please during our April collection pop a pack of pads or tampons into one of our donation boxes or make a quick dollars donation online to help us to Share the Dignity. http://ift.tt/1U4GXzw #sharethedignity #thehomelessperiod #makingadifference #dignitydrive #donateonline #helpingwomeninneed - #regrann #ggpost http://ift.tt/2nZxyjp

[hayleylynm]

#doodle #thehomelessperiod thehomelessperiod.com

[kennbee916]

Hey y'all! Please help your fellow women out there!!! That time of the month is very hard for homeless women out there! Lets stand with our sisters!!!

[framewerkbelfast]

Two Fleas on the one day! Pop down to Grab CTRL from 2pm at Artcetera to support Nexus. We will also be collecting for The Homeless Period at our Flea on Saturday 11-5pm. Show our sisters some support xx . . . . #nexus #grabctrl #thehomelessperiod #framewerk #framewerkbelfast (at Framewerk)

[freeparkin]

Day 9 of #thehomelessperiod donation drive ringing in with more goodies! @jvwoodal and I are so thankful that everyone has been so generous - and we aren't even in double digits of the drive yet!