02/01/2025
WI’s “Taking Care of Women’s Business. Period” collection was kicked off on CBC and runs February 1-28! Read for more details!
The provincial board of PEI Women’s Institute and branches want to ensure there are enough feminine hygiene products for the ever-increasing number of clients at foodbanks across Prince Edward Island. “The need for these products remain at all time high” says WI President Sheila Gallant.
The aim of the “Taking Care of Women’s Business. Period. 28-day campaign” is to collect product or monetary donations to address the need for menstruation products for P.E.I. food banks to ensure self-respect for women is maintained.
Starting in 2015, the now annual campaign began when founding organizer Tracey Comeau read about a homeless young woman who felt as if she lost her last bit of dignity because she couldn’t afford pads or tampons during her menstrual period. Comeau was inspired to ensure PEI women and teens do not suffer the same issue. Food banks want and need feminine hygiene products resulting in the muchly needed 28 Day Campaign for Taking Care of Women's Business. In 2017, the over century old PEI Women's Institute, whose core principle is to focus on women and children, accepted the challenge to increase the campaign.
Since its in inception, the Campaign raised well over $50,000 worth of product or donation. Each year, the entire inventory collected is distributed to food banks across the Island within weeks of the collection. The PEIWI issues collections challenges to all WI branches, organizations, businesses, families, and individuals across Prince Edward Island.
Hundreds of women, not including youth, are in monthly need of items like tampons, pads or menstruation cups for women’s monthly cycles. Nancy Wu, provincial board member of the PEI Women’s Institute further indicated “supporting women this year is so very important given the issues women and their families face this year in acquiring basic needs”.
The campaign takes place this year from February 1st to the 28th. Starting Thursday, February 1, drop-off locations include any Murphy’s Pharmacy across P.E.I. (Murphy’s Pharmacies will match donations with their house brand of Options+), Main Street Pharmasave in Souris, and the WI Office at 40 Enman Crescent, in Charlottetown. Online donations can also be made online to the Upper Room Hospitality Ministry: URHM.org.
Mayte Luna (right) from the Confederation WI branch (comprised of newcomer students!) joins in on the kick off!
