A Kentucky organization is looking to help anyone in need of free menstrual products through a network of pantries it plans to set up across the Commonwealth.
Period Y’all is a statewide organization sponsoring these pantries through community partnerships. The group’s organizers work with community liaisons to keep the pantry boxes stocked with free menstrual products, like tampons and pads, as well as educational materials and other resources for those in need. It hopes to have 13 locations open by the end of the year.
Period Y’all founder and Lancaster native Skylar Davis said she wanted to find a project that could capitalize on her organization’s ability to support grassroot efforts.
“We're a really small organization. It's basically me and some volunteers, and we were just having a lot of people reach out to us about wanting what we do in their community, and I wanted to be able to help somehow,” Davis said.
She said the idea for creating a menstrual product pantry was inspired by similar initiatives in Ashville, North Carolina and Louisville. Her organization opened its first pantry in Garrard County earlier this year – and the project quickly gained attention.
“It went kind of viral on the internet, and so I had like over 40 requests for people wanting [period pantries] in their own communities,” Davis said. “And so I was like ‘Okay well, this is happening because I'm a doer. I'm going to figure it out.’”
Last week, Davis and community liaison Shelbie Cordes opened the organization’s second period product pantry in Paducah. The pantry is a repurposed newspaper box donated by the Paducah Sun, located outside of the Goodwill Opportunity Center.
Davis said while her organization has the ability to keep the pantry stocked, she hopes to see the local community contribute as well.
“We also want to teach community liaisons how to activate their own communities and get people interested in their area to help stock it too. Because, it takes all of us to make a difference,” Davis said.
The Period Y’all founder said the goal of the pantries is to address what’s known as period poverty. The term is used to describe financial and geographical barriers that make it difficult for some to have access to period products.
Davis added that period poverty can include a lack of easy access to information about periods. The Kentucky organizer hopes by including education materials an improvement can be made to public understanding of menstrual cycles.
