Coalition Member News

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Over the Moon Diaper Bank seeks to decrease period poverty and diaper need

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Destini Ambus | Savannah Morning News

Katie Griffith, the founder and executive director of Over the Moon Diaper Bank said that what they do at the non-profit is something that’s very tangible and can make effective change very quickly.

The organization provides diapers, period and incontinence products free of charge to those in need. Think about how a food bank functions − that’s exactly how this diaper, period, hygiene bank functions.

The organization, which started in 2019, and is the only one in the Coastal Georgia area has now grown to the point where a warehouse is necessary. They obtained space at Port City Logistics to store the thousands of diapers, pads, tampons, wipes and more that they receive through donations. The bank serves those in need, year-round from Beaufort to Brunswick.

Earlier this year, a bill made its way through the Georgia state Legislature to exempt certain absorbent diapers, undergarments and pads from sales and use taxes. Diapers and period products are taxed at a minimum of 4%, the statewide tax rate, but can reach 9% in certain parts of the state. In Savannah, the sales tax is 7%, a combination of the state, city and sales tax rate.

The bill did not advance out of the committee this year, but is still alive for January 2024 when the Legislature reconvenes. In the meantime, 47% of families with small children still experience diaper need – that’s one in two families. Two in five people struggle to purchase period supplies due to lack of income, according to Over the Moon website otmdiaperbank.org.

The vision for Over the Moon is simple: To improve the health, ease of life, and dignity of coastal neighbors because we believe everyone deserves to be clean, healthy, happy, safe and dry.

“These are problems that are solvable by laypeople,” Griffith said. “You know, you don’t have to be a healthcare professional to figure this out, but you know get some volunteers, fundraise some, connect with other people, and it just has this ripple effect. Anybody can do something.”

Griffith said that Over the Moon is something that had been building since 2017, when she and her family began donating to the Texas diaper bank after Hurricane Harvey hit Houston.

As she started learning more about diaper need, she realized it was something that people needed on a daily basis, not just during natural disasters. She began looking for something similar in the area, and the closest one was hours away – the only other banks in Georgia are the Diaper Bank of North Georgia in Gainesville and the Athens Area Diaper Bank in Athens.

After reaching out to the National Diaper Bank Network and different organizations in the Savannah area she began to slowly build Over the Moon, with the help of a lot of volunteers, who still volunteer their time to hep today.

“It’s very grassroots, but we wanted to work with organizations that already had systems in place that could easily and quickly get items out to people who need them, who already had those relationships built in,” Griffith said.

That’s the model – they have donation bins set up in various locations, volunteers pick up the products in the bins and bundle them based on size (of diapers), and then they stock them with partner organizations or have distribution events with local libraries, churches and community partners.

One of those partners is Live Oak Public Libraries. Savanna Waddle, the regional social services coordinator with the library system said that banks like Over the Moon are vital in expanding access to families.

“Diapers and period products are basic necessities, yet the price of these items is prohibitive for some folks,” Waddle said. “Over the Moon has brought the service to them.”

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, children require at least 50 diaper changes per week, or 200 diaper changes a month. Over the Moon gives away 50 diapers to each family at distribution.

“Most people they’re missing 50 diapers at the end of every month, so that’s what we provide,” Griffith said. “We try to time most of our giveaways at the second half of the month, when people need the help the most so they can get through to their next pay period.”

Russell Lewis, a single father living in Savannah, said the bank has definitely saved him financially. He said he’s a proud single dad raising a 2, 3 and 4-year-old.

“I’m doing my best and we all fall short sometimes,” Lewis said. “I just feel like the organization helps a lot of single parents, and saves a lot of headaches because kids can’t wait on diapers. they have to have it.”

The organization began distributing period products too immediately when they started. Period poverty is the lack of having access to sanitary products due to financial constrains or negative stigmas associated with menstruation.

“Period poverty lasts so long, and you know, half of the population menstruates for a large chunk of their lives,” Griffith said. “As soon as I learned about diaper need, you realize that a chunk of the population who’s dealing with that is also facing period poverty, because they’ll forego purchasing items or getting items for themselves because their baby needs diapers.”

Over the Moon recently held a ribbon-cutting to celebrate their new warehouse at Port City Logistics. Griffith said that she is grateful for the help Port City has provided them.

“I mean, it takes everybody really and that’s what’s also so great about this. It’s not about one person or one, you know, one group, this is a community effort,” Griffith said. “And this has benefited our entire community.”

 

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Teens are the leading voice to end ‘period poverty’

Laura Berrios

Chamblee High School senior Deeksha Khanna has spent the past year trying to understand period poverty and ease the injustices of it in her community.

She has learned that one in five women and girls do not have access to menstrual products, a basic necessity.

The 17-year-old has assembled personalized menstrual hygiene kits – with medications, pads, tampons, wipes, and sanitizers – and delivered them to homeless shelters, community centers and schools.

Period poverty describes the inequities of low-income women and girls who struggle to obtain menstrual products, and the stigmas attached to menstruation.

Deeksha, passionate about service and social justice, founded The Elea Project to end period poverty and ensure women’s menstrual health by partnering with other groups on this issue.

She has worked with 25 organizations in Georgia and other states in the past year. Through her GoFundMe account, she has collected $2,000 in donations and given out almost 13,000 products.

“Millions of women around the world have to miss school, have to miss jobs, have to take sick days because of something so fundamental to their existence,” said Deeksha. “As a student, I value my education. I felt a connection to those women and decided this is a perfect area for me (to serve).”

Teens like Deeksha are leading the way to humanize and break taboos around menstruation.

Their voice in period poverty is vital, said Claire Cox, chair of Georgia STOMP, a statewide coalition advocating for menstrual equity and elimination of period poverty in Georgia.

“It’s really a movement among young people these days,” Cox said. “They are asking for needs many of us never thought to voice. They’re speaking up and busting stigmas that are barriers to these conversations.

“They’re starting movements at their schools, and when they go to colleges and universities, they continue the movements. And I think five years from now, the workplace, and the restrooms in workplaces, will be different places.”

STOMP stands for Stop Taxing Menstrual Products, and it’s the group’s main message to state legislators. Every year since 2018, a bill to eliminate the state sales tax on period products has been before the Georgia legislature. Twenty-four states do not tax period products, and five other states don’t levy any sales tax.

Cox also works to destigmatize the topic by changing dated terms like “hygiene products” and advises schools that receive state funding for menstrual supplies. Georgia was the first state to fund period products for grades 5-12, she said.

In Gwinnett County, 17-year-old Rhea Sethi said she didn’t know “period poverty” was an actual term until she got involved last year with her school’s chapter of Period. – a global, youth-fueled organization that strives to eradicate period poverty and stigma through service, education, and advocacy.

This year, she’s leading the chapter, organizing donation drives to supply menstrual products at elementary schools, and ensuring her peers at North Gwinnett High know where they can get free period products on campus.

“After I got into the menstrual movement, it was such an inspiring thing,” said Rhea, a senior. “I immediately wanted to be part of it and see what impact I could have in advocacy and service.”

Members of North Gwinnett High Period. chapter – both girls and guys – twice went to the state Capitol during the last legislative session and spoke with lawmakers about the hardships of the sales tax.

“Having a tax on tampons and period products is inequity,” Rhea said. “Why do we have to have a tax on it? Seems like a punishment because you have to buy products like these.”

She said even a slight price increase causes women to use cheaper products, which may harm them.

According to Groundswell, the average woman spends about $120 per year on pads and tampons and an additional $20 each year on over-the-counter medication to combat cramps and other period-related side effects.

The North Gwinnett chapter tries to humanize the subject by keeping meetings informative and fun. Having male members serve in leadership roles helps to break down stereotypes and misunderstandings.

The Elea Project also focuses on education, and Deeksha has gathered some of the movement’s leading voices in the state for panel discussions that she posts on social media.

Deeksha said forming partnerships with like-minded groups has made her efforts more efficient and effective. For example, she partnered with the University of Georgia Period Project to assemble over 4,000 kits of menstrual supplies and helped to distribute them in Athens and metro Atlanta.

She said her most meaningful moment in this journey so far was partnering with the Global Village Project, a school for refugee girls in Decatur, and providing them with period products.

When learning that some girls could not speak about menstrual needs within their families or communities and would have to conceal their products to go home, Deeksha placed the items in paper bags so they could be discreet.

“A big part of Elea is to eradicate that stigma that exists around period poverty,” she said, “because it’s such a fundamental underpinning of being a woman.”

HOW TO HELP

The Elea Project: theeleaproject.org

Instagram: @theeleaproject

GoFundMe: gofund.me/e0aae3b3

All donations go to purchase period products that are distributed to community centers, shelters and schools.

Georgia STOMP: www.georgiastomp.org

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Teens are the leading voice to end period poverty by Laura Berrios

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2023 Georgia Association of School Nurses Convention

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GASN June 15 2023
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Georgia Association of School Nurses (GASN) returned to hosting their annual conference this year and Georgia STOMP was on site to enjoy the reunion! This gathering of over 350 school nurses from throughout Georgia is an important educational and connectional event for our state. The conference, held in Savannah, branded with a lighthouse and themed “Restore our Light,” was filled with a sense of excitement, friendship and a desire to hone skills and learn about new opportunities to better serve students in Georgia.

Shortly before the pandemic, GASN became a member of Georgia STOMP and plans were initiated for our participation in the conference. After waiting three years for the plan to come to fruition, we made the most of the week. We spent long hours tabling with vendors in order to talk to school nurses individually, and were grateful for the opportunity to address the gathering in a featured segment for the whole conference. The week was rich in opportunities to connect and educate school nurses about the funding available in the state budget and best practices for distributing period products in schools.

Board Chair Claire Cox spoke directly to more than 150 nurses, learning from them about the sufficiency of the state funding for period products in their schools, listening to methods of distribution that have worked (and some that haven’t) and talking to them about best practices we have learned to distribute products without shaming. Adele Stewart presented to the gathering, letting them know more about the organization behind what most Georgia school nurses call “STOMP money.” It was an opportunity to ensure each of is aware of the presence of the money, how the funds which are allocated by the legislature are divided between schools and what can be purchased with the funds. Adele concluded by inviting the nurses to reach out to us if they have any questions or need more information and to connect with us via our newsletter signup. 

We wish every one of you who has been a part of Georgia STOMP throughout the past six years could have been present to hear the incredible testimonies about the difference funding is making in the lives of students and their families, and the gratitude on the part of school nurses for the assistance. Prior to the state funding, our surveys showed school nurses and other administrators paid for the products out of their own pockets almost 60% of the time!

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Opinion: How You Can Help During Period Poverty Awareness Week

Jamie Lackey | May 22, 2023

Last year alone, Helping Mamas distributed nearly 900,000 period products to the women and girls who need them the most. The bulk of those essential items were distributed during the summer.

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The burden of period poverty falls on women and girls who are already struggling to meet their basic needs. It can lead to health issues, self-esteem problems, and reduced productivity. Without access to period supplies, they miss school, work, and play. Overcoming period poverty is a multifaceted approach. It takes collaboration between nonprofits, corporations, and the government to solve this issue.

Here’s how you can help:

Period poverty is a critical issue impacting women and girls worldwide and it is exacerbated in Georgia where period products are taxed. The lack of access to basic, essential items for marginalized individuals, contributes to a cycle of poverty and limited opportunities. 

Period Poverty Awareness Week, May 22-28, marks the end of the school year, which is the time when girls still receive free period supplies. Once summer begins, they lose access to these essential items. Helping Mamas, Georgia’s only baby and basic needs supply bank, aims to shine a light on period poverty, an issue that’s often stigmatized and leads to unhygienic practices, social isolation, and missed school and work opportunities. Period poverty is a public health issue, a poverty issue, and a gender equality issue.

According to a 2021 study by U by Kotex, over one-third of low-income women reported missing school or work due to lack of access to period products. One in six women in Georgia, ages 12-44 live below the federal poverty line. The taxation of period products perpetuates the misconception that menstruation is a luxury rather than a biological necessity. 

If the Georgia legislature could drop this regressive tax policy, we could close the gap for vulnerable communities.

  • Raise Awareness: Education campaigns, community outreach programs, and social media campaigns can help destigmatize menstruation, mobilize support, and amplify the voices of those affected.
  • Policy Changes: Advocacy efforts focused on pressuring policymakers to remove the sales tax on period products. Several U.S. states, including neighboring Illinois and Florida, have successfully eliminated the tax. Working with groups like Georgia STOMP is a great way to stay involved in advocacy efforts in GA.
  • Public-Private Partnerships: Collaboration between government agencies, non-profit organizations, and private enterprises can help bridge the gap in access to period products. Helping Mamas works with school districts, shelters, health departments, and other organizations to make sure that no one is left behind because of period poverty.
  • Education: Comprehensive education programs that go beyond the biological aspects can help combat taboos, promote understanding, and empower individuals with the knowledge to manage their menstrual health effectively.
  • Donate: Consider supporting Georgia’s only baby supply bank to ensure that the women and girls who need them receive essential period products.
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Grady News Source Covers HB 5

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The University of Georgia’s Grady News Source recently interviewed Georgia STOMP member organization, Project Red, about House bill HB5, which would “require the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to make menstrual hygiene products available at no cost to students in certain facilities or portions of facilities in institutions.” Project Red is a UGA student group dedicated to supplying campus bathrooms with free period products. As part of the segment, Georgia STOMP Board Member, Madison Shellnut, a member of Project Red, comments on tax elimination efforts in Georgia

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Junior Leagues of Georgia SPAC at the Capitol

Junior Leagues of Georgia SPAC members
Junior Leagues of Georgia SPAC members

Member organization, Junior League of Georgia State Public Affairs Committee (Georgia SPAC), held their day at the Capitol on Wednesday, February 23rd.

Adele Stewart and Dominique Holloman (Georgia STOMP Board members) were present to update the group on Georgia STOMP priorities.

The fortuitous timing of the Capitol Day meant those attending were present when Claire Cox, Georgia STOMP Chair, spoke to both House Appropriation Subcommittees!

SPAC members wore their HB810 buttons and advocated for passage of the bill to eliminate sales tax on menstrual products while under the Gold Dome!

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Stella Kwon Honored With Youth Champion Award

We are celebrating Stella Kwon, Georgia STOMP coalition member and president of La Lune, as she was selected for the Youth Champion Award in Education by PERIOD! She interviewed Claire Cox as a leader in the menstrual equity movement as part of her honorarium. “Some of the most pressing issues are the ones that we don’t see or don’t acknowledge,” Stella said. To learn more about Stella and the work she is doing in the menstrual equity space, visit http://www.lalunenonprofit.org.

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Project Red Brings Period Products to UGA

Period Product dispensers placed in two all-gender restrooms

Period Product dispensers placed in two all-gender restrooms

“Several months ago, I was only making $600/month and had to choose between eating and menstrual products more than once…UGA providing free menstrual products would ensure the silently impoverished students are more easily able to reach their full academic potential.”

 

When you think of the tools students need to succeed in school, you might name things like a computer, notebooks, or access to study space. Most people don’t immediately consider access to period products a factor, but according to a survey conducted among UGA students, insufficient access to period products can be detrimental to a student’s education.

This survey, conducted from June-August 2020, was the first step in the formation of Project Red, an initiative to install menstrual product dispensers on UGA’s campus. Started as an offshoot of Period Project at UGA’s advocacy branch, “Project Red” became the branded name for a pilot program that provides free, biodegradable menstrual products in select all-gender UGA restrooms.

To gain a deeper understanding of the menstrual needs at UGA and in the surrounding Athens-Clarke County area, the Project Red team conducted a community needs assessment consisting of ten interviews with community members, distributed two surveys to UGA students, faculty, and staff, and assessed Project Red Instagram analytics.

Many survey respondents reported difficulties in obtaining period products and how these difficulties have affected their education. One student reported,

“I have very inconsistent and heavy periods, so oftentimes I find myself without the proper supplies when I find I need them…it is usually quite difficult to find an affordable product in times of need during or in between classes.”

Other students emphasized needs related to reproductive health that affect their menstrual cycles. For example, another student mentioned health concerns that contributed to elevated costs related to period products,

“…I dealt with quite a few menstrual issues stemming from comorbid [endometriosis] & PCOS – one time bleeding for 80 straight days…I was uninsured…Even cheap alternatives are expensive to students…”

The survey also collected responses related to everyday inconveniences that affect students’ ability to focus on their academic work,

“One time I was in class and started my period…I bled completely through my white leggings that day. My only saving grace to get me through my next classes was some wadded-up toilet paper and a friend’s jacket that I tied around my waist.”

Once the Project Red team gathered this survey data, they developed a report to pitch to UGA’s auxiliary services team to garner support for a pilot program installing period dispensers in two all-gender restrooms with funding from a $4,000 grant provided by the Office of Sustainability.

The team is working with UGA staff to expand and sustain the program, with hopes that it will be absorbed into the budget, so it is no longer reliant on grant money.

Project Red is currently creating a toolkit for other college groups looking to implement a similar program on their campus.

The Project Red team from left to right: Jaaie Varshney, Mahathi Mula, Suvitha Viswanathan, Ashley Boyle, and Maeve Breathnach
The Project Red team from left to right: Jaaie Varshney, Mahathi Mula, Suvitha Viswanathan, Ashley Boyle, and Maeve Breathnach
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Georgia STOMP Partners Rock!

It isn’t news to any of us that the pandemic has resulted in lost or reduced wages for many Georgians. The Georgia STOMP coalition is aware of  food and housing insecurities many are experiencing, and that concern extends to the increase in period poverty amongst menstruators. 

Necessary public health safety measures, like limitations on size and ability to gather, have forced sudden operational changes onto non-profits and agencies working in our communities. In light of this, we reached out to Georgia STOMP Coalition partners seeking updates on how collection and distribution of period products is occurring in the time of COVID-19. 

Be inspired by their work and their ability to “pivot” in their mission and modes of operating!

POSH PACK

“The biggest challenge of Covid-19 for Posh Pack Inc. has been adapting in a pandemic to continue to serve our communities, but through a different lens. With the shutdown of schools, it no longer served our target population to provide donations to schools without students present. We really had to rethink how to fulfill our mission and do it in a way that was safe in a pandemic. After speaking with a number of organizations, it was apparent that menstrual items were needed more than ever. We discovered many parents were already going to food pantries to receive food donations. It made sense to connect the two and have parents be able to receive food and feminine hygiene items at the same time. 

As a result, Posh Pack, Inc. has developed a programming focus to make sure young women and girls have access to feminine hygiene during the pandemic. Posh Pack, Inc. spent February through July, giving feminine hygiene essentials to different organizations that are directly connected to women and girls who need these items most. Since February, as a result of donations, we have been able to give 5000 pads to organizations to include food pantries, homeless shelters, and civic organizations focused solely on period poverty. With continued support from donors, we hope to donate over 10,000 pads by the end of the year.” — Dr. Elesia Glover

PERIOD ATLANTA.

“PERIOD Atlanta is working harder than ever to meet the needs of menstruators in Greater Atlanta. This past summer, we donated more than 6,000 menstrual products to various organizations, including the Clarkston Community Health Center and Women’s Refugee Network. Despite the geographic distribution of our officers and members throughout the metropolitan area, PERIOD Atlanta hopes to use the new virtual opportunities that the pandemic has opened up for us and start working in the advocacy arm of our work in the fall.” – Sophie Lee

HOMELESS PERIOD PROJECT OF ATLANTA

The Homeless Period Project of Atlanta has completely shifted our way of doing things. 

Instead of the excitement of period packing parties, we’re now asking for products either by purchasing off our Amazon Wish List or just buying and mailing to us.

The four board members divide and conquer by packing at home and delivering to our community partners. The need is still there and we are working HARD to fulfill.

Please visit our Instagram page (@homelessperiodprojectofatlanta) for updates and information.  Our wishlist link is in our bio. One box of pads helps. It’s that simple. Please email us if you want to get involved. atlanta@homelessperiodproject.org — Torrey, Brittany, Rilla and Jennifer

LA LUNE

“Currently, La Lune has donated 559 care packages (5,964 menstrual products) and we are working on delivering at least 200 more before the end of the month. As the global pandemic has disproportionately affected marginalized communities, we have been donating to those in great need in Atlanta, Georgia; Bronx, NY; and Houston, Texas. In Atlanta, we have donated to City of Refuge Atlanta and Covenant House Georgia. We are continuing donations to refugee centers, detention centers, and any community centers that request such donations. 

We have also partnered with re-entry intervention programs such as the Gwinnett Re-entry Intervention Program (working in Gwinnett County Jail). After touring the facilities and talking with Sergeant Baird from the GRIP program, we are beginning to establish a PenPal and Zoom interactive program with individuals (primarily women and all menstruators). The GRIP program works to aid in core issues such as drug addiction, mental health, and poverty and provides housing and case management upon release, access to mental health services, a primary care doctor, and job assistance. In addition to the discomfort around menstruation, there is a prevalent disconnect between those in the prison system and the rest of the community due to prejudice and stigma. To bridge this gap, we are interviewing and releasing the stories of consenting individuals with our photojournalist: Jade Hidalgo. We want to show the public that these are good people and connect them with the community with monthly Zoom calls to truly get to know these individuals and establish solid relationships. 

We are working with DivaCares and researchers from UGA and Emory to establish our first official educational program in Clarkston, Georgia. The classes will be held online and will work with 4th and 5th graders on the topic of menstruation. This education program will teach boys, girls, and all genders in an all-inclusive, discussion-based environment. We are working towards a future in which the stigma around menstruation is eliminated and all menstruators are well-equipped and educated on proper menstrual hygiene. However, it is important that all students learn about menstruation, before they, and their friends get their periods. We will also be providing menstrual products and hygiene essentials to our students and their families. — Stella Kwon

If we haven’t heard from you, send us your stories and how your organization has morphed and adapted during 2020!

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