Support Boise State's Campus Food Pantry

Boise State's Menstrual Equity Club is focused on raising awareness about menstrual health and breaking down the stigma surrounding periods. ‘Menstrual equity’ not only refers to equal access to products, it also emphasizes the importance of people having the resources, knowledge, support, and choices for how to take care of their menstrual health. In honor of this mission, we are hosting our third annual Product Drive benefiting Boise State's Campus Food Pantry!

One aspect of raising awareness has to do with identifying the harmful affects of period poverty. The term ‘period poverty’ describes a person who struggles to meet the need of accessing or paying for menstrual products. Lack of reliable access to menstrual products negatively impacts people with periods.

To support the Boise State community, we are collecting monetary donations as well as unopened physical products to support Boise State menstruators in need of period products. We will be in the Quad from 9am-5pm the week of October 17th-21st to receive physical donations. If you're interested in donating physical products let us know and we can make arrangements!

Our goal is to raise over $1000 which will support an estimated 322 periods, or 28 people for an entire year!

Last year we donated $962 and 92 packages of period products to the Campus Food Pantry!

 

Reliable access to period products is imperative. BMC Women’s Health found in a study of 471 college-attending women across the United States that 14.2% of women experienced period poverty in the past year and 10% experienced it every month. Results demonstrated that women who experienced period poverty were the most likely to report moderate to severe depression. Additionally, findings by BMC Women's Health suggest that one in ten college women face period poverty. While we don't have statistics specific to Boise State's campus, the Food Pantry has stated that whenever period products aren't available students ask about them. 

 The Campus Food Pantry will be spending the donated funds on a bulk purchase of TOP period products. TOP's mission is to provide people with periods with quality products. The Food Pantry has received positive feedback for consistently carrying products, and we are excited to help contribute to creating reliably accessible products.

Do you want to get involved with the Menstrual Equity Club? Follow us on Instagram @menstrualequity.bsu and become a club member on our Engage Page!