On Mother's Day, donors present menstrual products to homeless women

NEW YORK — On Mother’s Day, two nonprofits collected hundreds of boxes menstrual products and toiletries to donate to three of the city’s largest women’s shelters in response to increased donor awareness about the lack of feminine hygiene items such as tampons and pads available at shelters.

Portia Asare, founder of the Above and Beyond Initiative, a nonprofit serving African- American teenage girls, organized the weeks-long toiletries and menstrual products drive in partnership with the Manhattan and Bronx chapters of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority to raise awareness about the difficulties women face when living and washing up on the streets.

“We want to give the women a treat, and show our love and appreciation on this specific day,” she said.

On Mother's Day, Asare organized a formal presentation of about 110 red and black bags filled with toothpaste, deodorant and sanitary pads in various sizes — proceeds from the drive — to individual women. There were three large boxes filled with the same products, which were to be delivered to shelters. 

There were DJs, there were make-up artists and fresh fruit cocktails. The atmosphere was festive.

Asare said she hopes to make the project an annual initiative.

“I am so thrilled we were able to kick off such a project, this is an important issue that barely crosses the average person’s mind,” Asare said in a statement.

About 60,000 people are homeless in New York City, the highest number since the Great Depression, according to Care for the Homeless, a New York City organization that operates more than 25 clinics for the homeless across four boroughs.

Since 2008, 25 percent more women than men have become homeless — 59,000 women compared to 45,000 men, according to the National Health Care for the Homeless Council's statistics of homeless patients seen at health centers. 

But service providers haven’t caught up with the changing needs of the increasingly female homeless population, residents and advocates at shelters have noted a lack of feminine hygiene products.

“The growth is hard to manage, hard to handle,” said Cathy Sharp, director of development at Care for the Homeless.

Tanisha Dinkers, a 27-year-old mother and resident of a Bronx shelter, said buying toiletries such as deodorant and pads each month is very expensive. Her shelter doesn't provide such items, she added, and being able to use products she trusts during her period is essential as she fears soiling her clothes and sheets.

“Having my branded stuff really makes a difference,” she said. “Otherwise I’ll bleed right through.”