in 2015 in California by Chelsea Vonchaz and her mother to assist women in “homeless, low-income, and/or living in
poverty” by providing female hygiene products.
Recently one of the newer chapters #HappyPeriodDetroit
teamed up with the Youth of Ummah (YOU) youth group in Warren, Mich. for the
chapter’s first packing party and hygiene kit drive to prepare 301 kits of
one-cycle’s worth of pads, tampons, panty liners to provide the less fortunate
a chance at living life in dignity.
Jessica Marie Bertollini, 28, of Farmington Hills, and volunteers collected $1,100
in monetary and product donations. Jessica began her journey with the group
last year after feeling the need to do more in the community. “I saw an article on Facebook about
Chelsea, the founder of HP and immediately felt drawn to the organization.”
After giving her first donation, she asked how she could open a local chapter.
“What I love about #HappyPeriod is the support and comradery it encourages among
women.”
Jessica’s best friend Danielle Poulin, 29, from
Sterling Heights, was also drawn to the cause for its simplicity to give back
and raise awareness about the taboo topic of periods. Danielle said, everyone
donates food and clothes but shelters never have enough of female hygiene
products. “No one wants to feel dirty, when they don’t have something as simple
as a pad,” she said.
items are the most needed yet least donated for the homeless population with
periods.”
I met Jessica through a mutual friend from college who
introduced us on Facebook after I posted a video about the challenges of being
on your period while homeless. I asked Facebook friends, what can we do about
this locally? As a mother of three young children, I often felt disconnected
and unable to volunteer at long events. #HappyPeriod resonated and sounded easy
enough: collect, advertise, donate and distribute.
The process goes like this: People can contact
#HappyPeriod through the website. Local chapters look
for a host and space to create an event for drop-offs and packaging. Jessica
said there have been multiple online only events via Facebook, in which
products are mailed to her or a hostess’s home. Jessica then sorts through the
materials and delivers them to local shelters. Collections take place
throughout the year.
the people who helped collect products at the Islamic Organization of North America, where the packing party took place, and helped purchase products with the monetary donations. Mehruba asked people to give however they could, even if
that meant she had to pick up items from people’s door. “We emptied three
CVS’s,” she later told me. “We strive to ensure that we play our part as
Muslims…to make a positive impact on the community,” Mehruba said.
pads, tampons, soap and more were put into 12 tall garbage bags to distribute
to shelter homes as needed.
or contact Jessica Bertollini at happyperioddetroit@gmail.com for drop-off locations and events in Michigan, and follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreHappyPeriodDetroit/.
Donations are tax-deductible.
Author: Nargis Rahman
Nargis Hakim Rahman is a Bangladeshi American Muslim writer and a mother of three kids. She is a fellow for Feet in Two Worlds/WDET 101.9 FM for a food journalism fellowship. Nargis graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism, and a psychology minor. Rahman was a part of the Wayne State’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity, a honors learning community. She has reported for The Muslim Observer, a national Muslim newspaper since 2010, The South End, Wayne State University’s student newspaper, and The Hamtramck Review, Hamtramck's community newspaper. Rahman is passionate about community journalism in the Greater Detroit area. She hopes to give local American Muslims and minorities a voice in the press. She blogs for Brown Girl Magazine and Haute Hijab.
Nargis Hakim Rahman is a Bangladeshi American Muslim writer and a mother of three kids. She is a fellow for Feet in Two Worlds/WDET 101.9 FM for a food journalism fellowship.
Nargis graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism, and a psychology minor. Rahman was a part of the Wayne State’s Journalism Institute for Media Diversity, a honors learning community. She has reported for The Muslim Observer, a national Muslim newspaper since 2010, The South End, Wayne State University’s student newspaper, and The Hamtramck Review, Hamtramck’s community newspaper. Rahman is passionate about community journalism in the Greater Detroit area. She hopes to give local American Muslims and minorities a voice in the press. She blogs for Brown Girl Magazine and Haute Hijab.
