Submitted by Monique Cephas
On April 29, the Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter’s Donations Committee partnered with members of the Towson-Catonsville Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. collecting sanitary products for girls and personal care products for boys to support the Baltimore County Student Support Network (BCSSN). Period poverty is defined as a lack of access to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education, toilets, hand-washing facilities and/or waste management. Approximately 23% of U.S. students struggle to afford menstrual hygiene products. In 2022, it was cited in a journal of global health report that “500 million people lack access to menstrual products and hygiene facilities.” BCSSN’s vision is to ensure that every student in Baltimore County Public Schools arrives at school each day with the resources that enable them to focus on the education they deserve.
This was BCAC’s second year to host this donation drive with a goal to collect 400 pouches for girls and 100 pouches for boys with an objective to provide supplies so that children do not miss school due to not having the resources needed. Additionally, BCAC wanted to engage the entire chapter and the larger community to educate them about the needs of Baltimore County students. The pouches for the girls included various sizes of sanitary pads, tampons, feminine care wipes, hand sanitizer, ChapStick and panty liners. The pouches for boys included deodorant, hand sanitizer, ChapStick, and body wash.
Thanks to the overwhelming support from the community, the chapter surpassed its goals by collecting enough items to provide 625 filled pouches for the girls and 115 pouches for boys! Participants were excited to contribute to the campaign in a meaningful way and work towards the established goal.