{"id":56146,"date":"2019-02-11T12:26:30","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T17:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=56146"},"modified":"2019-02-13T10:39:03","modified_gmt":"2019-02-13T15:39:03","slug":"brock-university-collecting-menstrual-hygiene-products-for-tampon-tuesday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2019\/02\/brock-university-collecting-menstrual-hygiene-products-for-tampon-tuesday\/","title":{"rendered":"Brock University collecting menstrual hygiene products for Tampon Tuesday"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine having to make the difficult choice between buying food or menstrual hygiene products.<\/p>\n

For many people, it\u2019s an unfortunate reality.<\/p>\n

Tanya Faulkner, Labour Program and Services Co-ordinator with United Way Niagara, says that tampons and pads are rarely donated to food banks and shelters \u2014\u00a0and can be an expensive luxury for people living in poverty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know a girl who missed a week of school every month. Her family could only spare enough money to buy menstrual hygiene products for her mother so she could go to work and earn an income,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn other situations, people who are underemployed, unemployed or homeless may choose to eat a meal instead of purchasing health products.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beginning this week, Brock University\u2019s United Way committee is organizing a menstrual hygiene product drive as part of a larger local Tampon Tuesday initiative. Community members are being asked to take the #oneboxchallenge and donate an unopened box to support local people in need.<\/p>\n

Tampons, pads or other menstrual hygiene products will be collected until Friday, March 1 at several locations on campus (listed below).<\/p>\n

The boxes will be brought to one of three Tampon Tuesday events<\/a> taking place across Niagara on Tuesday, March 5 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. in celebration of International Women\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s Tampon Tuesday event collected nearly 2,300 boxes, but Faulkner says that the need is always greater than what is provided. With the additional help of large organizations like Brock University on board this year, she\u2019s hoping to collect closer to 6,000 boxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re grateful that Brock is involved. The collective effort of students, staff and faculty can make a huge impact in our local community,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

In addition to contributing to this year\u2019s initiative, members of the Brock community will also benefit from its success. The Brock University Students\u2019 Union Food First<\/a> program is one of 15 local recipients of this year\u2019s drive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Food First program has seen an exponential increase in demand over the past couple of years,” says Joyce Khouzam, Vice-President, Student Services for Brock University Students\u2019 Union. \u201cSurprisingly, we\u2019ve seen the most usage from graduate students, even though the program is an undergraduate program.\u201d<\/p>\n

Khouzam says that about 1,500 Food First packages have been given away since September 2018, each including seven grocery items and two hygiene products of the students\u2019 choices. Students can access the program up to three times per semester.<\/p>\n

Normally, if a student needed menstrual hygiene products, a box would be counted as one of their two allocated hygiene products.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the donations from Tampon Tuesday, we can offer pads or tampons in addition to the nine items in the package,\u201d says Khouzam. \u201cStudents won\u2019t have to make the choice between toilet paper or tampons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other Tampon Tuesday recipients include Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold, Community Care of West Niagara, Community Living Port Colborne-Wainfleet, Fort Erie Multicultural Centre, GBF Community Services, The Hope Centre, Pelham Cares, Port Cares, Project SHARE, The RAFT, Westview Centre4Women and YWCA Niagara.<\/p>\n

Tampon Tuesday began as a grassroots effort more than decade ago. An individual working with Bell Media in London, Ont., identified the community need and began organizing monthly events with guest speakers from local agencies. It wasn\u2019t long until United Way Centraide Canada got on board and helped spread awareness across the country. This is the third year United Way Niagara is involved in the initiative.<\/p>\n

What<\/strong>: Tampon Tuesday \u2014\u00a0Menstrual hygiene products collection drive
\nWhen<\/strong>: Monday, Feb. 11 to Friday, March 1
\nWhere<\/strong>: Several locations on Brock University\u2019s campus:<\/p>\n