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Annual Tampon Tuesday Collection Drive encourages community to donate menstrual hygiene products for people in need
Donations will be collected for the month of March in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington

Kingston, ON (February 27, 2023) United Way KFL&A is excited to announce the fourth annual Tampon Tuesday Collection Drive in the region.

Starting March 1 and running until March 31, 2023, community members are encouraged to donate pads, tampons, liners and other menstrual hygiene products. The donation drive aims to fill a gap in the Kingston Frontenac, Lennox & Addington area. Menstrual hygiene products are among the most requested items at local food banks and shelters, but the least donated. This initiative will once again work locally with national Tampon Tuesday partners Bell Media, organized Labour and Shoppers Drug Mart.

“These collection drives are extremely important for so many in our community,” said Bhavana Varma, President and CEO of United Way KFL&A. “There are so many individuals who are vulnerable when it comes to menstrual hygiene. We are grateful for the wonderful response every year and look forward to another successful drive.”

Last year the KFL&A community showed their local love and support by donating over 134,000 products. These products are distributed to program users through local agencies and make an impact each day.

“Menstrual hygiene products are a necessity and yet unaffordable,” said Leigh Martins, Training, Education and Volunteer Coordinator at Kingston Interval House, a United Way partner agency.  “United Way’s Tampon Tuesday drive allows us to have a supply of products available to give out to our clients.”

This year’s drive will once again encourage workplaces and individual collection drives of products. There are drop offs at locations throughout the region. “Workplaces, neighbourhoods, families, individuals are encouraged to start their own collections, and then drop off at the collection sites,” added Varma.

Donations will be collected at the following locations:

Until March 7^th:

• Cataraqui Town Centre (in partnership with MOVE 98.3): drop off at Centre Court during operating hours

From March 1 through 31 individuals can drop off at:

• United Way KFL&A office, 417 Bagot Street: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Look for donation boxes at
  • all Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Napanee, Amherstview and Kingston
  • all Starbucks locations in Kingston
  • Cher-Mere locations in Kingston

Products can also be donated by

• an Amazon wishlist
• monetary donations can be made

For information and resources, including collection site posters, social media posts

• People can also call the United Way KFL&A office at 613-542-2674 or email labour@unitedwaykfla.ca
• visit https://www.unitedwaykfla.ca/tampontuesday

Note:

United Way KFL&A encourages inclusiveness for Tampon Tuesday, and are using the term “menstrual hygiene products” (versus “feminine hygiene products”)

Only menstrual hygiene products are being collected. We are not collecting adult diapers or other products at this time.

About Tampon Tuesday

Started in London Ontario, the grassroots movement began in 2009 after Mandi Fields toured a local foodbank and discovered an empty shelf in the non-food cupboard. Knowing the cost of these items, and their importance to women’s health and dignity, she felt the need could not continue to be overlooked and came up with a plan to provide a solution. Tampon Tuesdays continue to grow as an opportunity to collect products for people experiencing period poverty.

In 2017 United Way Centraide’s Labour Programs and Services joined forces with Tampon Tuesday and Bell Media to begin holding events and drives to help people across Canada.

Facts about menstrual hygiene products

• Menstrual hygiene products are among the most requested items at local food banks, shelters and agencies, but the least donated
• 83% of Canadians who menstruate believe period products are too expensive
• One in five (22%) of Canadians who menstruate use products longer than they should because they can’t afford more
• 17% of Canadians have had to decide between buying a period product and an essential item on their grocery list
• 68% of Canadian women have felt that their period prevented them from full participation in an activity; this increases to 85% among women and girls under 25

How products will be distributed locally

Products collected will be sorted by volunteers and distributed to various agencies including:

Addiction & Mental Health Services
Boys & Girls Club
Centre for Abuse and Trauma Therapy
Dawn House
Dress for Success
Elizabeth Fry Society of Kingston,
Family and Children’s Services FL&A
Girls Inc
Trellis HIV& Community Care
Home Base Housing
Kingston Community Health Centres
Pathways to Education
Kingston Interval House
Kingston Youth Shelter
Lionhearts Inc.
Lunch by George
Maltby Centre
Martha’s Table
Morningstar Mission
North Frontenac Food Bank
Partners in Mission Food Bank
Resolve Counselling
Rural Frontenac Community Services
Salvation Army Community & Family Services
Southern Frontenac – Food Bank
Street Health
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Tipi Moza
Victim Services of Kingston & Frontenac
Youth Diversion

Learn more about the impact that these donations make on individuals here.

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Media Contact:
Mandy Pasch, Director, Marketing and Communications
United Way KFL&A
613-876-3088, marketing@unitedwaykfla.ca