How You Can Help with Menstrual May
United Way Maritimes is launching Menstrual May in 2025, and we need your help! Whether you’re a business or an individual, there are many ways that you can alleviate period poverty in our community.
Period Poverty
Hundreds of women, girls, and non-binary and transgender individuals in our community experience period poverty. This means they don’t have access to the menstrual products they need, because of the cost, where they live or other social barriers. As a result, people might miss school, work, or social activities. They might be forced to use toilet paper instead of pads or tampons. Period poverty can take a toll on a person over time, and lead to embarrassment.
Menstrual May
Menstrual May is a menstrual product collection effort presented locally by United Way Maritimes, Halifax Public Libraries, Saint Mary’s University and Enterprise. We’re asking businesses and individuals in our network to collect and donate as many menstrual products as possible. Once the drive is completed, teams of volunteers will deliver the menstrual products to United Way funded agencies and community organizations serving women and transgender individuals.
Donations will be accepted at the following locations between May 6 – 26, 2025:
- Halifax Public Libraries (all branches except Dartmouth North Public Library and Community Centre)
What individuals can do to help
- Organize a drive – Whether it’s with friends, family or co-workers, every donation counts! Please be sure to drop your collected items off at one of our designated locations by May 26.
- Spread the word – Share our posts on your social media and encourage people to get involved by word-of-mouth.
- Get your boss onboard – Ask your employer to organize a drive or make menstrual products available free of charge in their bathrooms
What businesses can do to help
- Organize a drive – rally your staff members and motivate them to help us address this serious issue for women and gender-diverse individuals in our community. Host an event to engage your workplace team or provide a prize for the staff member who collects the most products!
- Make menstrual products available in the bathroom of your organization free of charge – you never know who might need them.
Assets
Here are some assets to help you launch your drive!
Thank you!
We’re so grateful for the support that we’ve seen from the community on this initiative year over year and thank you to everyone getting onboard in 2025! Thanks to your generosity, fewer people will be forced to choose between buying the menstrual products they need, or paying for other necessities like food, medication or transportation. Every box of pads, tampons, diva cups or wipes makes a difference!
We’re here to help:
Iana Leshko (She/Her)
Relationship and Development Officer
iana.leshko@unitedwaymaritimes.ca
(902) 304-7802
