TO SUPPLY WOMEN WITH PERIOD PRODUCTS

MARJIE DUCEY World-Herald Sta Writer

Kristin Lowrey couldn’t stop thinking about the hardships that face women who can’t afford to purchase period products.

It’s a struggle for two in ve women in the United States. One in three low-income women report missing school, work or similar events because they don’t have access to period supplies.

Those numbers were unacceptable to Lowrey, who founded Access Period to help women in Omaha and across Nebraska address the issue. Access Period is a member of the Alliance for Period Supplies.

Think, she said, how uncomfortable it is to be caught without products.

“That feeling of panic and being worried all day for some people it’s just their daily reality,” she said. “Every time they have their period that’s how it feels.”

It might be someone in the western half of the state who doesn’t have a big box store nearby with its cheaper prices, a single mom struggling to provide food for her children or a young woman in college.

“Nobody was really tackling it head on,” she said.

However, in the last year and a half, thanks to the sponsorship of Healthy Blue and support from other agencies in Omaha and across Nebraska, Access Period has donated 300,000 period products across the state.

But it’s still not enough.

“We have a wait list about a mile long of organizations that could use these products that we just aren’t able to reach yet,” Lowrey said.

Access Period isn’t the only organization trying to help. Other groups such as the Poverty Impact Network in Lincoln include period products with other hygiene items for the needy. The Period Project at the College of St. Mary has held drives to provide the funds to put free period products in every restroom on the campus.

Many people don’t realize how the products can be beyond the reach of a lowincome woman. In 2021, Lowrey said, prices jumped and they continue to grow.

They also aren’t covered by any government safety net programs, she said.

Lowrey began seeing the need when she became part of the board of directors for Partnership 4 Hope and while working with and mentoring young adult former foster youth.

“I witnessed the dif culty that many people in our community, especially our most vulnerable, have accessing basic needs,” she said.

Although she works as a communications director for Remedy Intelligent Staf ng, the company has been very supportive, allowing her to work as many as 50 hours a week with Access Period.

Each pack handed out by Access Period contains 75 tampons or pads, 20 liners, personal wipes and disposal bags. That covers three months. One-month kits are available for people experiencing homelessness or who don’t have a place to store the products.

When Lowrey started, she relied on women at book clubs and church events to help pack kits. Now, large organizations such as Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, Conagra and Charles Schwab are holding packing parties.

About 20 partner agencies in Omaha and across Nebraska distribute products. It’s a diverse group, including places such as the Union for

Her goal is to distribute 500 three-month kits each month. Monetary contributions are always welcome because she can buy the products cheaper than an individual visiting a store.

While the problem is seldom talked about, it’s a high priority for the people Lowrey’s organization serves.

“The whole family is able to thrive when the caretaker is able to go to work and school,” she said. “It does feel really good.”