Period Advocacy Project

The Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank is honored to be part of the Alliance for Period Supplies and U by Kotex as an allied organization of The Alliance for Period Supplies, to help alleviate this need in Western Pennsylvania. When these needs go unmet, it adds additional stress to families who are already struggling and can lead to missed work, school and social activities. To better combat period poverty and educate on root causes and ways to take action, the Diaper Bank formed its Period Advocacy Program. 

Officially piloted in 2021 with support from The Pittsburgh Foundation, Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank’s Period Advocacy Project is a discussion-based cohort and comprehensive curriculum that aims to address period poverty through an intersectional lens and empower youth through advocacy. The program is directed toward young people aged 15-25 years old.

Participants learn about the historical and current barriers of period poverty. The discussion includes the health needs of menstruators, political and social barriers to product access, education about advocacy, and the de-stigmatization of periods through increasing visibility and impacting legislation. The class also incorporates stretches and movement to help reduce pain and 

Students participate in a final day of action where they write letters to local legislators to influence access to period supplies. Each student who finishes the program receives a monetary stipend and a 6-month supply of period products. Programming partners include Youth Enrichment Services and Ruth’s Way. This program is supported by the AEO Foundation. 

To learn more about the program or to host the class, email Tara Truscott, Program Coordinator at ttruscott@wpadiaperbank.org.

2 in 5 people have struggled to purchase period products in the past year due to lack of income.

The Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank, is honored to join the Alliance for Period Supplies and U by Kotex as an Allied Organization of The Alliance for Period Supplies, to help alleviate this need in Western Pennsylvania. We know that when these needs go unmet, it adds additional stress to families who are already struggling to provide what they need to. If we can help families provide diapers and period products for those in their families then the other resources can be redirected to something else, perhaps to food, transportation, or savings. All of which may help alleviate the pressure of poverty and increase the quality of life.