While everyone is either scrambling for a last-minute gift or getting dolled up for a big date tomorrow — you know, Valentine’s Day —LOLA, a feminine product delivery service, is spreading the love a day early by donating up to 500,000 period products to homeless shelters throughout the country. And the best part is you can lend a hand too!
To celebrate Galentine’s Day, a holiday meant to celebrate the women in our lives, the period brand known for its organic tampons wants you to raise your voice for women by sharing the image in the Instagram above, which is meant to symbolize how a small act of kindness can make the difference for millions. All you have to do is post the picture in either your feed or your Instagram stories from today until 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, the 15th, with hashtag #TamponsAreNotALuxury and tagging the brand. And LOLA will donate 100 period products to women in need through Support The Girls, a non-profit dedicated to providing homeless women with bras and feminine hygiene products. This would help double LOLA’s lifetime donation since its start in 2015.
LOLA initially kicked things off last week by linking up with 100 of its New York City customers to help hand deliver over 10,000 tampons to shelters throughout the city. The drives are part of the brand’s ongoing commitment to ensure that people who get periods, no matter how much they make, are able to access the products they need every month. The fact is tampons, pads, and other monthly necessities can be pretty hard to come by even if you’re in a homeless shelter, as they’re not donated as often as coats or non-perishable food. That means that millions of low-income people in the U.S. are forced to choose between buying menstrual products for themselves or essentials for their families, according to the organization’s founder, Dana Marlowe.
“You don’t really think to donate this [feminine care products], but this really is a basic life necessity,” Alex Friedman, LOLA’s co-founder, told Cheddar.com. “And we’re doing everything we can, as a brand, to get women the products they need.”
And even if you’re not homeless, feminine care products can hit your wallet pretty hard over time! Aside from the fact that not only are we paid less than men, we also pay for items like razors, toys, and even dry cleaning, including tampons. That’s because period products are subject to sales tax in most states since it is seen as a luxury item when items like cowboy boots, Viagra, and candy are exempt in various states in the U.S. (Yeah, I know. WTF?!) In fact, only 12 states don’t have a tampon taxor have recently gotten rid of it. So by adding your voice to the conversation, maybe we can all help change these policies so everyone who has a period doesn’t feel financially penalized for having it.