WGC Supports Period Poverty Awareness Week

It was just Period Poverty Awareness Week, May 12 - 18, which was created to draw attention to the issue of period poverty and the negative impact it has on people who menstruate, and the WGC was proud to be participating through our WGC "Break the Cycle" Period Product Drive!

This week, our amazing student interns will be providing a $5,000 "Mini Give" Grant - stay tuned for more information!

And, learn more about our amazing interns here.

What is Period Poverty?

Half of the population menstruates. We all know plenty of people that have a period. But not everyone knows that two in five 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. For many individuals, a period is a setback. It’s something that dictates where they can go, what they can do, and how they’re perceived. For 1 in 3 low-income women, this means missing work, school, and outings because of a lack of period supplies.

No student should have to miss school, no adult should have to miss work, and no person should have to miss out on daily life because they are unable to afford the basic necessities they require.

Since 2022, the WGC has supported women’s health and highlighted period poverty in Howard County through the WGC’s “Break the Cycle” Period Product Drive, an effort to highlight period poverty through education, donations, fundraising, and grantmaking to support women and girls in Howard County.

​​The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked and we believe it is time to break the cycle of period poverty”
This effort is important to the WGC because:
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• We need to “Break the Cycle” of less than 2% of philanthropic giving going to women and girls.
• We need to “Break the Cycle” of being silent about how the continuum of women’s health and the unique challenges we face as women and girls impact our lives, and 
• We need to “Break the Cycle” of period poverty for women and girls.

​WGC’s “Break the Cycle” has Three Components:

• Education: WGC leaders and student interns are spreading the word about period poverty through learning, marketing, and events.
• Donations: WGC leaders and student interns are working with partners across the community to collect and deliver period products. 
• Fundraising/Grantmaking: WGC leaders and student interns are raising money and providing funds to nonprofit partners working to alleviate period poverty.

Connect with us on Instagram to follow our efforts and learn more about this important issue and how you can get involved!

​"The WGC has chosen to continue our focus on this important issue because it's a need that is easily and often overlooked" said Paula Seabright, WGC's Feminine Hygiene Product Drive Chair. "It's time to break the cycle of period poverty and we invite our community to join with us."

You can learn more about getting involved in our efforts here