St. Vincent Place is excited to launch our new Period Pantry program, supplying menstrual products to those in need.
This program can be accessed through the food bank (Wednesdays 4:30 to 7 and Saturdays 11:30 to 2), but clients do not need to request a full food package to receive menstrual products. While regular food packages are only available once every two months, clients can access the Period Pantry every month.
Why did we launch The Period Pantry?
In 2020, a survey from UWO showed that about 30% of women in Ontario experience period poverty - the inability or struggle to afford menstrual products. Some have to go without other necessities, including limiting food, to be able to afford these products for themselves or their dependents.
A 2021 survey showed that this number had gone up to 34%, and with the ever-increasing cost of living, there can be no doubt that the number was even higher in 2022 and today. In our own food bank, women have cried about their inability to access menstrual products. They are not an option, they are a necessity.