Dignity Period Oxford, a group that distributes feminine hygiene products to women, has sent $500 worth of sanitary supplies to Texas following the chaos and wreckage Hurricane Harvey left behind.
Betty Bloom prepares donations for sending off to the Gulf Coast. This is Dignity Period Oxford’s first disaster relief effort. Photo courtesy: Dignity Period Oxford
Betty Bloom, one of the two original founders of the non-profit organization, recognizes the donation may not seem like much, but said coming from a small business, it’s a big step. Bloom also sees the need to get rid of the stigma surrounding women’s periods, and Dignity Period Oxford allows her to implement this belief.
“When we started the organization, a couple from Texas made a financial investment to help us get going,” Bloom said. “We decided to send our $500 worth of donations to not only help with the hurricane disaster but to also give back to Texas, where it all started.”
The one-year-old business does not have a specific office location, and instead is operated through Bloom’s own home. According to its website, Dignity Period Oxford has a drop-off location in Oxford at Live Well Therapeutic Massage on West Oxford Loop.
“It drives my husband crazy because we always have scraps of feminine products and boxes of tampons on our porch,” Bloom said.
Over the past year, Dignity Period Oxford has worked in Oxford and has expanded out to Marshall. The organization writes grants and proposals for United Way and Loft, working to bring poverty awareness to those in the Lafayette area and beyond.
“We got busy … We participated in the Loft process,” Bloom said. “So we are affiliated with United Way, and we have an official grant with them.”
Keri Meagher, one of the co-owners of Align Body Mind, a women-only boutique fitness studio, has hosted one of Dignity Period Oxford’s donation boxes.
“I couldn’t even believe it, that this was a real need in the world,” Meagher said. “When Dignity reached out to us, we agreed that having the donation box was such a positive thing, and I think everyone should know about this organization.”
When it came to donations, the Align fitness studio had received a significant amount of supplies. Donations range from panty liners to tampons to sanitary napkins.
“We had a tub full of tampons, pads and even underwear by the end of the donation process,” Meagher said.
Senior communications science and disorders major Claiborne White said she was interested in donating feminine hygiene products to the Texas disaster relief efforts and was able to send donations through Dignity Period Oxford.
“A pad or a tampon is not something that people would think of as a necessity, especially since periods are so hush-hush,” White said. “If I couldn’t afford any sanitary pads or I wasn’t able to get any, I would hope someone would help me out.”
White made a $38 donation through Dignity Period Oxford and was able to provide products to women in Mississippi and along the Texas Gulf Coast.
