Dignity Matters Expands Access to Period Products in Greater Lowell
By Kathy Register
It’s a formerly taboo subject that is getting some of the community awareness needed: period poverty.
Many economically disadvantaged women and girls in Massachusetts receive no assistance when it comes to accessing the menstrual products they need every month.
Not covered by federal food-stamp programs, these expensive products are a regular necessity that can cripple low-income family budgets. Consequently, many women and girls often do without and just stay home during their periods – which impacts their ability to attend school or hold down a job.
However, Dignity Matters — with support from the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) — has stepped up to help women “manage their whole periods with dignity.”
Each month, 15,000 women in Massachusetts receive period products through Dignity Matters, explained Meryl Glassman, Development. Director. “We are the largest provider of menstrual care products in the state.”
The Framingham-based nonprofit is also educating the public about this under-recognized issue. “We tell people all the time, ‘Look, we don’t talk about menstrual periods. And we don’t talk about what can go wrong with periods. And that’s why so few people are aware that period poverty is happening here in Massachusetts,’ ” said Glassman.
“But more and more people are starting to realize this is an area of great need for women. And the financial impact of the pandemic and rising costs have only made it worse.”
“Families struggling with food insecurity in our community rarely have enough money to keep their households fully fed, much less to purchase period care supplies,” added Jennifer Aradhya, GLCF’s Vice President of Marketing, Programs & Strategy.
“The Foundation wants to create awareness that period poverty does exist, and we are working to fund this important need in Greater Lowell.”
Studies show that one in four teens are missing school because of period poverty, according to Glassman. “If girls get their periods and have no access to menstrual care products, they often stay home from school three or four days each month – month after month. That makes it difficult for them to advance in school and eventually graduate.
“We also know that one in three women who work in low-wage jobs miss work due to period poverty. When they miss work, they don’t get paid. And if they miss too much work, they can lose their jobs.”
Dignity Matters currently serves women in Eastern Massachusetts and is one of a growing number of nonprofits around the nation dedicated to helping women-in-need. It provides menstrual products to schools, shelters and food pantries, including many in Greater Lowell. These community partners then distribute pads and tampons to their clients.
One of Dignity Matters’ most successful school partnerships is with Catie’s Closet, a Dracut-based nonprofit that provides clothing, toiletries and other basic essentials to low-income students.
Catie’s Closet sets up free “stores” in schools, where students can “shop” for any items they need to attend class with confidence, explained Mickey Cockrell, Catie’s Closet CEO and co-founder.
“We only build Closets in schools where 50 percent of students are below the poverty level,” she said. “We have grown to 117 locations, in 11 school districts in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and now serve 78,000 children a year.”
Lowell-area girls and teens have access to free menstrual products in Catie’s Closets, courtesy of Dignity Matters, through a GLCF-funded grant, titled Dignity in Lowell Schools.
“We have Closets in all the Lowell schools: elementary, middle and high schools,” said Cockrell. “And thanks to Dignity Matters, we now offer period products in all of them.
“Period poverty is a big deal,” she added. “These products are expensive, so students don’t buy them – which means they stay home from school when they have their periods. How can they graduate if they don’t go to school?”
Another Dignity Matters community partner is the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell, which serves kids ages 8 to 18. Approximately 80 teens and girls receive free period products each month through Dignity Matters, estimated Shirley Pimentel, Youth Development Director at the Club.
“A lot of our families are low income and struggle with general food insecurity,” said Pimentel. “So it only follows that they may need help with providing hygiene products, from soap and shampoo, to period products.”
And while the Boys & Girls Club prioritizes its girls, the organization also distributes menstrual care products from Dignity Matters to members’ families. “Whenever we have a special family event, we always set up Resource Stations and put out pads and shampoos so parents can pick them up,” she explained.
“It’s great that Dignity Matters allows us to supply these products,” said Pimentel. “Our girls are so thankful – and we get good feedback from our families, too.”
Dignity Matters distributes period products to women of all ages through the Wish Project, a nonprofit that helps families in need establish long-term residency. “We supply everything from clothing, furniture, hygiene products, cleaning products, diapers and baby wipes, and menstrual products,” explained Tina DiNino, Volunteer & Social Media Manager at the Wish Project.
Based in North Chelmsford, the Wish Project serves Greater Lowell, Lawrence and the wider Merrimack Valley. “We assist anyone in our community that has a need,” said DiNino. “There is no need for proof of income or proof of services. We just require clients to bring a photo ID to receive these items.”
And community need is growing, added DiNino. “When our fiscal year ended in June, the number of clients we provided clothing to was four times higher than the previous year. And the number of diapers we distributed was eight times higher, compared to the pre-COVID years.”
The Wish Project is also distributing more and more menstrual products, she said. “We now provide period products for almost 250 women each month. About a year ago, that number was 100 women per month.
“We are so thankful for our partnership with Dignity Matters,” said DiNino. “It has made a huge impact on our clients.”
To learn more about GLCF’s work, visit: www.glcfoundation.org.
About Greater Lowell Community Foundation –Established in 1997, the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF) is a philanthropic organization comprised of more than 400 funds dedicated to improving the quality of life in 21 neighboring cities and towns. With financial assets of more than $55 million, GLCF annually awards grants and scholarships to hundreds of worthy nonprofits and students. It is powered by the winning combination of donor-directed giving, personal attention from Foundation staff, and an in-depth understanding of local needs. The generosity of our donors has enabled the Community Foundation to award more than $35 million to the Greater Lowell community.
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