Period Power Project
Join Positive Charge! PDX in an effort to alleviate period poverty, a growing public health crisis, even here in Oregon.
You can support our “Collection for a Cause” by donating period and hygiene products, or by joining us in person to assemble Period Packs filled with essential supplies and comfort items.
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Why period products?
Many of our low-income neighbors—think people living under the federal poverty threshold, refugees, migrant farmworkers, and the houseless—struggle to afford menstrual products. They often have to choose between buying food or essential hygiene supplies and resort to using socks, toilet paper, or even folded plain paper in lieu of appropriate items.
Such lack of access to basic hygiene needs may make menstruators feel helpless or embarrassed, cause them to miss school or work, or put their health at risk.
No one should have to choose between food and period supplies. No one should have to stay home from work and school because they lack the funds to purchase essential supplies.
By donating “period products,” you can make a big difference in ensuring Period Power right here in Portland!
AT-A-GLANCE
Several ways you can help!
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Drop off products at various vendor locations
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Order products through our wish list
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Donate money for us to purchase products
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Make cards at home
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Volunteer to pack kits at our Assembly event
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Volunteer to make cards at our Assembly event
Look below for details about each option.
How does it work?
Products to Donate
Tampons
(all sizes; must be individually wrapped)
Sanitary pads
(all sizes; must be individually wrapped)
Panty liners
Reusable pads and covers*
Reusable menstrual cups*
Ibuprofen / Motrin
Single hand sanitizers
* Especially these products! They are much easier to maintain and far less expensive on the wallet and the environment over time.
Registry Wishlist
If you can't drop off donations in person, let your fingers do the shopping (and dropping) by ordering something from this Wishlist. Please be sure your donation arrives by May 30th.
This list is also a great place to start in considering what you'll donate. Note: All supplies must be new.
In-Person Packing Party
Sun., June 1
1 - 3 pm
1151 SW Vermont
Courtyard entrance
Join other caring, compassionate souls to make cards and assemble supplies into Period Packs. RSVP required, as space is limited.
Business-Site Drop-Off
May 10 - May 30
These generous small businesses are partnering with us to make
donating convenient for you!
SW PORTLAND
6344 SW Capitol Hwy
1755 SW Jefferson St
1525 SW Sunset Blvd
Windermere Realty Trust - Raleigh Hills
6443 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, #100
SE PORTLAND
5812 E Burnside
Windermere Realty Trust - Moreland
1610 SE Bybee Blvd
NW PORTLAND
2175 NW Raleigh
Windermere Realty Trust - Pearl
1220 NW Lovejoy, #130
BEAVERTON
12375 SW Fifth
Beaverton City Library - Murray Scholls
11200 SW Murray Scholls Pl, #102
LAKE OSWEGO
706 4th St, Lake Os
Windermere Realty Trust - Lake Oswego
220 A Avenue, Suite 200
OREGON CITY
508 Main St
900 Main St #104
Make-Cards-at-Home Option
Each Period Pack will include an encouraging, handmade card with a single, bilingual phrase. The cards can be made during our June 1 Packing Party, OR you can make them at home anytime between now and May 30, then drop them off in a plastic bag at a convenient collection bin (options above).
Choose one phrase per card (in both languages) and decorate your cards to bring a smile to those opening them:
You matter
Usted es muy valiosa
You're not alone
No está solá
You are loved
Es querida
You have a beautiful heart
Tiene un corazón hermoso
You are a gift to this world
Usted es un regalo para este mundo
* no envelopes needed with the cards
Positive Charge! PDX's Period Power Project is held in collaboration with:
PERIOD. The Menstrual Movement, a nonprofit working to ensure that no one is held back by their period
EveryGirl initiative of Ultimate Mission, an organization focused on women's health and empowerment here and around the globe
Operation Reproductive Health at Oregon State University's College of Pharmacy, a student-led organization dedicated to destigmatizing conversations around women's health while promoting access to reproductive health education and resources
We also heartily welcome and celebrate the partnership of Ida B. Wells High School Positive Charge and Leadership clubs!
FAQs
Are there really that many people who can't afford period products?
A 2023 study commissioned by Dignity Grows reported that more than one third (35.8%) of American women at some point in their lives experience Period Poverty.
A 2021 study conducted by YouGov on behalf of U by Kotex® and shared through the Alliance for Period Supplies revealed that 2 in 5 menstruators have struggled to purchase period products, a 35% increase from the brand’s initial 2018 research. That study also uncovered how Period Poverty disproportionately impacts Black and Latina people, as well as how COVID-19 exasperated this public health issue. Other key findings included:
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Over one-third (38%) of low-income people with periods report missing work, school, or similar commitments due to lack of access to period supplies.
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Nearly 7 in 10 (68%) Americans agree that Period Poverty is a public health issue, yet only 4% of Americans are aware of a local resource where free or reduced cost period supplies are available. This is why it's important to amplify the work of local organizations like Period. and EveryGirl.
According to a 2023 State of the Period study by PERIOD.,1 in 4 students who menstruate experience period poverty. Without period products, such students are more likely to miss class and fall behind in school.
Is Period Poverty really a problem in Oregon?
According to the Alliance for Period Supplies:
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1 in 7 women and girls between the ages of 12 and 44 live below the Federal Poverty level.
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13% of female students in Oregon's public school grades 7-12 attend Title 1 Eligible schools.
These low-income neighbors might have to choose between purchasing food and period products, although both are basic necessities!
Can’t people get period products through government programs?
Menstrual hygiene supplies are not covered by SNAP, WIC, or other government programs and are rarely available at food pantries. Fortunately, Oregon passed the Menstrual Dignity Act in 2021, making period products available and free in all Oregon public schools, deeming them as necessary as toilet paper, but these basic supplies may not be available at home, let alone on the street.
Why host this collection now?
We're hosting our collection and related events in conjunction with national Period Poverty Awareness Week (May 12-18, 2025) and International Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28, 2025)—in an effort to do our part to build awareness of the dire crisis of Period Poverty and in advocating for continued research and policy development regarding this humanitarian issue.
Who will receive the Period Packs we assemble with your donated items?
The assembled Period Packs will be distributed through local organizations such as the Blazers Boys & Girls Club, Neighborhood House, PCC Campus Women’s Resource Center, Transition Projects, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Clinics, various Oregon City agencies through a partnership with Ultimate Mission, and other TBD organizations.