Over 500,000 individuals
Women compose over 40% of that 500,000.
are homeless in the United States.
While
the difficulties associated with homelessness are extensive, those with female reproductive systems often undergo the additional burden of managing menstruation.
Menstruation
can get messy for those of us who have regular access to menstrual hygiene products. For those experiencing homelessness, that messiness is coupled with risks to one's health.
Those
without constant access to menstrual hygiene products may opt to wear them for far longer than suggested. This can cause bacterial vaginosis, rashes, Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS), fungal infections, reproductive tract infections, urinary infections (UTIs), yeast infections, and infertility.
So, How Can We Mitigate This?
Our focus group project, Care Kits for a Cause, centered around reproductive health and homelessness. More specifically, we sought to provide care kits to homeless young women and girls at Ozone House-- an emergency shelter, safe space, transitional housing, and counseling center for homeless youth, LGBT runaway teens, and families in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti-- as well as encourage dialogue regarding reproductive health at Ozone House at an event dispersing the care kits.*
Care Kits for a Cause
Care Kits for a Cause
Q: Why care kits?
A: Discourse regarding homelessness is typically centered around access-- or rather, the lack of access-- to resources that many homeless people have. When considering reproductive health and homelessness for women, access to menstruation products is an important aspect in ensuring that homeless women, girls, and female-bodied individuals remain as healthy as possible. Health is a right-- not a privilege. To learn more about menstruation and homelessness, click here.
So, what did we do?
First, We Brainstormed!
We originally wanted to use purses instead of the standard Ziplock bag.
In mid-October, we all got together and brainstormed: what could we do to support homeless women, girls, and female-bodied individuals? Immediately, we thought of carekits! Although not a new or innovate idea, creating care kits is a valid and important thing that can be done to provide necessary products to those who need it most. What was most important to us was doing something that anyone can do, as we wanted to involve our campus community in our endeavors.
WORTH
Our 2020 Focus Group Project:
Our 2020 Focus Group Project:
Q & A
Thus, we set out to hold a campus event where any and everyone could come together and help us create care kits for a local homeless shelter. We contacted many shelters in the Ann Arbor area, and while researching, we happened upon Ozone House. Ozone House is an emergency shelter, safe space, transitional housing, and counseling center for homeless youth, LGBT runaway teens, and families in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Ozone was ecstatic to partner with us, as they believed that we would be able to procure products that would benefit the individuals who rely on their services to survive.
Check out this video from Bustle that follows Kailah, a homeless woman who discusses her struggles with managing her period while being homeless.
Our original brainstorm: what did we want to include in our care kits? What were the needs of the homeless community?
Create 120 Care Kits for Ozone House
We set out to create 120 care kits for Ozone House. Immediately, we began reaching out to local and national organizations and businesses who would be able and willing to donate to our cause. We received generous donations from several organizations, such as Lunette, Diva Cup, and Saalt. We also received several donations from campus community members who heard about our cause! Our biggest donation, however, came from The Homeless Period Project-- a non-profit organization that has worked to
provide vital menstruation products to homeless women, girls, and female-bodied individuals for over half a decade. With their generous donation, along with our other donors, we quickly met our goal for several of the products we sought to acquire.
Our Goal
We Collected
And A Lot More!
We also collected a lot of lip balm, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and tissue! In total, we collected over 1,600 items for Ozone House.
We didn't hit our goal of having enough products to make 120 care kits, but we did meet our vision of being able to provide necessary and vital products to those who rely on Ozone's services.
* Our event planning was sadly cut short due to nationwide closures in response to the novel coronavirus/COVID-19. However, we still were able to make our donation to Ozone House.
Q: How did you choose which products to collect?
A: We used a combination of our experiences as female-bodied individuals, as well as consulted Ozone House and other shelters about what products they constantly run out of, what products they hardly get donations of, and what products were needed. With almost any care kit that is geared towards women, products that should be included are pads, tampons, wet wipes, washcloths, and hand-sanitizer. Want to learn how to make a care kit? Click here.
Q & A
This [project] has brought light and attention to things I normally take advantage of. Feminine products. . .are things all women need and should have the accessibility to obtain.
Being able to donate these items to women who can't access them made me feel more inclined to use my voice and take action to help support companies that support [this cause].
- Nicole Jarecki
Through working [on this project]. . .I have gained a greater sense of the need to increase accessibility of these products for all people. No one should have to worry about developing health risks from not having access to pads or tampons during menstruation.
- Gabrielle Adams
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Partners
Click on a logo below to be taken to an organization's webpage.
And a Special Thank You to Our Community
A special thank you to everyone who was able and willing to donate products and money to our Focus Group Project. Thanks to you, we were able buy more products, as well as make a monetary donation of $75.
If you would like to donate to Ozone House, click the DONATE button below, and you will be redirected to the organization's donation page.