SPRINGFIELD, PA – June 15, 2022 – Senator Tim Kearney (D-Delaware/Chester) and state Rep. Gina H Curry (D-Delaware); delivered over 1,000 feminine hygiene products to the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) office in Upper Darby to help local menstruating individuals in need.
The elected officials collected the items during a month-long donation drive in May.
Donation boxes were placed throughout several locations in Delaware County, including both officials’ district offices, Five Points Coffee Shop in Upper Darby, and the Ridley, Lansdowne, and Springfield YMCAs.
“Both Rep. Curry and I have constituents in our district who are facing period poverty, and through our partnership with The Foundation for Delaware County, we wanted to do something to help,” said Senator Kearney. “The support we received for this drive was overwhelming. Not only were we able to collect and deliver more items than expected, but we also hosted a virtual webinar on period poverty to raise awareness about the public health issue.”
Delivery of the donated feminine hygiene products to the WIC office comes just as the nation is experiencing a tampon shortage caused by supply chain issues. According to an article in the New York Times, raw materials needed to make tampons are “costly and highly volatile,” affecting accessibility and driving up prices.
“Understanding the depth of need around menstrual justice and equity is essential in a world that doesn’t always respect the barriers and challenges the women and menstruating people face every month,” said Rep. Curry. “With the rising cost and lack of attainable accessibility of menstrual hygiene products, I am so encouraged by the strong response we received for our “call to action” during our drive to provide in May. I would like the thank Senator Kearney’s office for partnering, all who participated in providing the products, and the educators who were a part of our webinar, Christine Joy Brunson from The Purple House Project, PA, and Nhakia Outland from Prevention Meets Fashion who diligently serve the community through this work every day.’
The Foundation for Delaware County will distribute the donated goods along with the network of organizations they support, which includes local WIC offices.
