Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
Two Mount Forest residents have teamed up to tackle periodic poverty by installing and holding free product dispensers in their town hall.
The entire fundraising effort was set up in just a few weeks.
It all started when Drew Nelson, 35, approached Kay Ayers, 75, to ask if she had any projects she needed help with.
Ayers recently heard about how challenging it was for some to afford menstrual products, and told Nelson that’s what she wanted to tackle.
“I said: ‘I think this is a real need,'” recalls Ayers. “And I was pretty sure, as a young man, he would run to the north end of a forest mountain and hide under a bush, as if he had nothing to do with it. But no, he was in favor of it.”
“These are the two perfect people to run it and lead it,” Nelson added. “Because it doesn’t affect any of us fully. And we went to town with it.”
Kay Ayers and Drew Nelson in front of one of their free periodicals. (Krista Simpson/CTV Kitchener)
Ayers and Nelson approached the municipality, Wellington North, and received support for their idea on one condition: they had to put electrical appliances in both the Mount Forest and District Sports Complex and the Arthur and Area Community Center.
The couple started fundraising and say they immediately received a lot of support.
“The donations just started coming in,” Ayers recalled. “So we thought, well, maybe we’re on the right track.”
They then pitched their idea to the Mount Forest Lions Club, of which Nelson is a member, though he still had to make a compelling case for the project.
The Lions ended up raising hundreds of dollars, as did the Leos, the group made up of the children of club members.
Kelly Dimmick, president of the Mount Forest Lions Club, said the groups are committed to meeting needs in the community and it’s well deserved.
“People have to make choices now if they’re going to feed their kids or not pay them rent or what have you,” she explained. “So I would think that products, like feminine hygiene products, would not be a front burner item.”
The optician-Mrs. The Arthur Club also agreed to help, sponsoring a machine that went into their local community centre.
Ayers and Nelson approached the city in February with their idea and it became a reality within a few weeks. The Mount Forest facility was installed on April 12th and the Arthur one on May 10th.
It cost about $1,100 to purchase and initially stock the devices, with any additional money raised helping to restock.
As for keeping the full machines going in the future, Ayers said they have many other potential fundraising sources they haven’t looked into yet, including local businesses.
The municipality, meanwhile, said they would charge the cost of restocking in the future if necessary.
An estimated 4,000 people walk through the doors of each facility on a busy week, and when both buildings are open to the public, the products are also accessible to those using nearby sports fields or playgrounds.
Mount Forest and District Sports Complex on June 18, 2024. (Krista Simpson/CTV Kitchener)
The project is called “Women’s needs, period!” But both dispensers are installed outside the bathrooms and are easily accessible to anyone.
Ayers and Nelson say that while some people have criticized the location, the goal is simply to get pads and tampons to those who need them most.
“We’re just here to deliver a product,” Nelson said, adding that they don’t make political statements of any kind.
The municipal team takes care of monitoring and filling the machines, in order to make sure that the supply is always available.
“People can come in, get the product safely, discreetly, and their needs are met,” Nelson said, adding that the goal is to help anyone who can use a pad or tampon, whether they have trouble affording products or just find themselves without one. in a time of need.
Ayers hopes the success of their project will set an example for other communities.
“I’m just excited to have this opportunity, that maybe out of this, some other city will do the same thing,” Ayers explained. “That’s my goal.”
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/mount-forest-residents-behind-push-to-install-free-period-product-dispensers-1.6931810
