On Dec. 11, the public is invited to grab a slice of red velvet cake and join Milwaukee Diaper Mission for a menstruation celebration event to help raise awareness for period poverty in Milwaukee.
WHEN: Period Party to benefit Milwaukee Diaper Mission on Sunday, Dec. 11 from 4-7 p.m. at Jamie Robarge Photography Studio (2018 S. 1st Street, Suite 211)
WHAT: 2 in 5 menstruators have struggled to purchase period products in the past year due to lack of income (source: Alliance for PeriodSupplies).
The event is open to the public (ages 10+). The party will include an art installation based on responses to this survey taken by menstruators, red velvet cake, local artists with period-related art/crafts for sale, a raffle, guest speakers, food/drinks, and music by DJ 4000. Guests will get one raffle ticket with every box of period products donated at the event. Products can also be dropped off between Dec. 4 to Dec. 10 at Bronzeville Collective MKE, Café Corazon (Bay View, Brown Deer, Riverwest), Enlightened Brewing Company, Healium Hot Yoga, MIAD, MKE Yoga Social, Nourish Skin Studio, Sherman Phoenix, Tosa West High School, WAC West Allis.
Monetary donations can also be made here.
Original Story Below aired on May 26, 2022
Half of the population menstruates, but in the past year alone two in five menstruators have struggled to purchase period products. That's according to the Alliance for Period Supplies.
This is called period poverty, and it’s a problem that’s prevalent here in Milwaukee as well as around the country. The inability to afford or access period products means missing work, school and other outings that impact a person’s health and quality of life.
May 23-29 is Period Poverty Awareness Week, and locally, the Milwaukee Diaper Mission is doing its part to help address this issue. On top of diapers, the organization also supplies about 12,000 period products a month.
"People should have equal access to the products that they need to feel clean, dry and healthy. I think ... this is a serious public health crisis, truthfully," says Milwaukee Diaper Mission Executive Director Meagan Johnson.
Johnson notes that period products are taxed like a luxury good, despite being a necessity for people with periods. In addition to the cost of period products, there's also a stigma built around menstruation and access to periods products, so oftentimes people feel hesitant to ask for assistance.
This lack of access can lead to people resorting to using household products such as socks, toilet paper, newspaper or cardboard to absorb blood during their period. "Unfortunately these items are not sanitary, and when people aren't using sanitary products to keep themselves clean during menstruation that can lead to infection," she explains.
In honor of Period Poverty Awareness Week, the Milwaukee Diaper Mission held an event on Monday to package around 500 period kits — both disposable and reusable products. The organization works closely with social service agencies, such as food pantries and home visiting agencies, to distribute the period kits to those in need.
"We believe really strongly in dignity of choice and making sure that people have access to every option available," Johnson notes. "People have really strong preferences when it comes to the product they use for menstruation and so we want to make sure we're offering several different options and also in several different absorbencies."
The Milwaukee Diaper Mission also works with local high school students to not only raise awareness about period poverty and collect products to distribute, but encourage talking openly about menstruation as a normal part of day-to-day life.
"It should be something that we're talking about regularly," she says. "Small organization like ours are doing the best we can to address period poverty, but I think that more needs to happen in order to make significant change in this space."
