“Pads, tampons and panty liners, oh my!” Today, the members of Women in Business will be asking for your tampons and pads for a good cause.
The organization will be collecting feminine hygiene products from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Tuesday at the Scramble Light. Pads and tampons can be in boxes or individually wrapped.
All products collected will be donated to the Muncie YWCA.
“Having to purchase $8 boxes of tampons every month is just not feasible for these women that can’t get food on the table, for their family or for themselves,” WIB President Liz DiGennaro said.
Kari Wissel, the development and marketing director at Muncie YWCA, also emphasized the residents’ needs for pads and tampons.
“We’ve had women come in with nothing more than the clothing on their backs, so if something crazy happens such as getting their period, they’re most likely not going to have a pad or tampon, nor the money to go buy the products they need,” she said. “They’re seriously not cheap.”
The YWCA is an international organization that serves women through four core programs, Wissel said. One is a residential program which provides emergency and second-stage housing to women and families.
WIB first partnered with the YWCA last year for an event called “In Her Heels,” and decided to hold another fundraiser this year. The group was recently able to tour the YWCA facility and found it to be an eye-opening experience.
“The most impressive part to me was the magnitude, the scale they operate on,” said Robyn Vuskalns, vice president of member relations for WIB.
DiGennaro found the members themselves to be the best part of the tour. She said though the women were varied in many ways, they had also created an open environment and were supportive of one another.
Wissel interacts with residents every day and said they are one of the best parts of her job. She feels this drive is important because it promotes solidarity among all women.
“If I didn’t have resources to get feminine products, what would I do?” she said. “Most of us have had the luxury to not have to worry about that, myself included. Think about how you would feel if that changed.”
If you won’t be on campus during the drive and still want to help, pads and tampons can be sent to 3015 N. Oakwood Ave., Apt. 140.
“Even if it’s two [pads or tampons] in an envelope, whatever donation we can get helps,” DiGennaro said.
Stop by the Scramble Light and check out the Facebook event for more details.
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