Menstrual products help women in need
In just five years, Gilmer nonprofit Women Together Period has given 86,000 menstrual products to women in need across multiple counties.
“A lot of us don’t think about this need, but it’s a serious threat,” the group’s founder and Executive Director Emilyn Slemons said.
She came up with the idea for the group when she was in high school.
In entrepreneurship class, she was researching “period poverty,” which the American Women’s Medical Association defines as “inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and education.”
The average woman spends between $120 and $180 on menstrual products yearly. While these numbers may not seem like much, they can be difficult for someone in poverty.
Without menstrual products, women face inconvenience and risk getting infections.
More than 24 million American women are in period poverty.
“I was really shocked to learn about the prevalence,” Slemons said.
Often, nonprofits don’t focus on menstrual supplies, so this need can go unmet.
After learning these things, she joined with women from Cherry Log Christian Church to host a menstrual products drive and open an official nonprofit.
“I founded Women Together Period to fill this gap and ensure the health and dignity of the people that we serve,” Slemons said.
Women Together Period’s nonprofit model is simple and effective. Its all-volunteer staff receives money from individual donors as well as Gilmer’s Faith, Hope and Charity Recycle Store.
This money buys menstrual hygiene products. Then, it divides the products into one-month supplies.
“We have incredible volunteers,” Slemons said.
Finally, the group distributes these products to local nonprofits so women in need can get them. “People are almost surprised that they can get the products and are very grateful for them,” she said.
Since its start, the group has grown significantly, expanding from Gilmer to Fannin, Pickens, Lumpkin, Cherokee and Cobb counties.
Receiving menstrual products can be a great encouragement to women in need.
“I remember a volunteer coming up to me one day and just talking about the immense gratitude that people showed for being able to receive the products,” Slemons said.
Currently, she is in the University of North Georgia studying history with the intention of becoming a professor. But her experience at Women Together Period has made her wonder about pursuing a different career.
“My heart really is in local nonprofits,” Slemons said.