A routine trip to the grocery store prompted three local high school students to start Femme Aid Collaborative after witnessing a woman in front of them struggling with period poverty. Today the volunteer-run organization officially hit a milestone; they have collected and delivered over 1 million menstrual hygiene pieces to local charities in Montgomery County in less than three years.
Femme Aid Collaborative makes a measurable difference with its continued focus on collecting and distributing menstrual hygiene products. A lack of products is one of the hidden consequences of poverty. The average person uses six products a day throughout their cycle, adding up to almost 40 per cycle. Providing access to essential monthly menstrual hygiene products enables menstruators worry-free period days and the ability to participate fully in daily life during their cycle.
“2021 presented us with new challenges, some of which could have ultimately shut down our operations. We had ongoing pressure from the pandemic, decreases in donations with increased product requests, double-digit increases on our per-case pricing for purchased products, along with supply chain issues, etc. However, we didn’t stop, and we went forth with a more intense focus and purpose than when we started three years ago. We looked for new and innovative ways to meet the monthly demand, and delivering the 1 MILLION product pieces today is a huge milestone for the organization.” April Mescher, Executive Director, Femme Aid Collaborative
Co-founders Zoe, Dana and Ryann
Cofounders Ryann Mescher, Dana Clark, and Zoe Waller continue to tackle Period Poverty in Montgomery County head-on. “Providing monthly menstrual hygiene supplies to local nonprofits is our way of not sitting still but doing something to help people in our community who need these products. The numbers speak for themselves. We could never have imagined delivering a million pieces when we started! Dayton is capable of amazing things. We want to thank every person who has contributed to this mission, every dollar, every tampon and pad, every like and share on social media, and using your voice to raise awareness of this issue. Together we can end period poverty in our community.” Ryann Mescher, cofounder
“We love receiving feminine products from Femme Aid because we do not regularly receive them as donations from the community, and we do not have the budget to purchase them ourselves. This regular donation from Femme Aid allows us to provide our female clients with the hygiene products they need free of charge. It benefits our community more than you know!” Lee Truesdale, Chief Development Officer, The Food Bank Dayton
Find all supporting partner locations and charities at www.FemmeAid.com.
“Our generous donor community makes it possible for us to continue this work. We help each other in a time of need. Whether dropping off menstrual hygiene products in the bins or making a monetary donation to purchase products together, we can end period poverty in Dayton. We are Dayton Strong.” Zoe Waller
Monetary donations can be made through The Dayton Foundation’s Femme Aid fund #8298 by mailing a check or online at FemmeAid.com. 100% of the donations go to purchasing menstrual hygiene products for people in need.
Donate at www.daytonfoundation.org or make checks payable to
The Dayton Foundation
1401 S Main St, Suite 100
Dayton, OH 45409
Please note clearly on your check FEMME AID FUND #8298
