Zonta Club Assembles 250 'Period Packs' for Local Organizations
Each pack contained pads, tampons, liners, washes and underwear.
Karen Norton, a 14-year member of the club, said there was a high demand for feminine hygiene products, especially in schools, shelters and food pantries, and mentioned how the costs of these product has increased over the years.
"It's such a basic need that is not being met. It's kind of like food, water, and shelter. This is basic human nature for women," Norton said. "The other thing, too, is that women have to pay tax on these products when they buy them and they have gotten quite expensive and you have to pay the tax. So I know there are initiatives where people are trying to make these products tax free."
Fifteen people were helping assemble the packs that consist of six tampons, five pads, one wash item, five panty liners, and one pair of underwear and are distributed to food pantries, schools, churches, shelters and other organizations that help those in need.
The club was able to raise $470 in cash donations and Temescal Wellness gave just over $500 in donations it had collected.
The Pittsfield cannabis dispensary had been collecting cash and products over the past couple weeks and will continue to collect cash donations through the end of March.
"I went on Zonta's website and saw that they were collecting stuff and it just makes sense to me that if people are coming for marijuana, if they see that there's a good way that they can get involved with the community they would want to," said Olivia Melillo, a patient service associate at Temescal Wellness.
Due to the high need of women's hygiene supplies in this area, the Berkshire County Zonta Club has been providing supplies twice a year for four years after adopting the project from the Quaboag Valley Zonta Club.
Volunteers and members also discussed the stigma that surrounds the topic of periods but mentioned that opening up the conversation releases this stigma and creates learning opportunities.
"Honestly, it's been great collecting these at Temescal because it normalizes it a little bit, like for my male co-workers, and people coming into the store," Melillo said. "It shouldn't be a weird conversation we have. I think we've kind of made it not a weird conversation to have because it's just such an open conversation with the community."
Quaboag Valley Zonta Club built a relationship with Soldier On to get assistance on projects and, over the years, this relationship has spread to the Berkshire County club.
Soldier On member, Yolanda Hoffman said,
"I think it's a wonderful organization that is providing essential products for people that maybe can't afford it, or they're in a place in their lives where they just don't have that access," said Yolanda Hoffman, a Soldier On member.
The Zonta Club will start collecting for its next Period Project in October. People can also donate to help support other Zonta Club causes by going to the website.
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