Oct. 8, 2021 By Allie Griffin
A city council candidate running for office in western Queens is hosting a menstrual product drive in Sunnyside Sunday on National Period Day.
Julie Won, the Democratic nominee for Council District 26, is hosting a drive for tampons, pads and other menstrual products from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Bliss Plaza, located below the 46th Street-Bliss St. subway station.
The items will be donated to local shelters in the area. However, Won is also encouraging visitors to take what they need from the drive.
She said she also hopes the drive will raise awareness about how expensive menstrual products are.
“The cost of menstrual products is a real financial burden for far too many in our community,” Won said. “While we have made some progress in recent years, this donation drive is about going the extra mile and making sure everyone has access to these essential items.”
On top of their hefty price tag, tampons are taxed as “luxury” items in the majority of states in the U.S. These taxes are estimated to cost women and menstruators upwards of $150 million per year.
New York eliminated its “tampon tax” in 2016. In 2018, the city also started offering free menstrual products in public schools.
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26 Comments
The jokes write themselves!
oh geez….
What an embarrassment!
Razors for shaving are also very expensive.
My daughter qualifies for $145 of monthly OTC products under Medicare because she is disabled but menstrual products are not covered! Neither is soap or shampoo!!
gov’ts should provide menstrual products for free!!!
I’m more interested in National Doughnut Day.
My ex husband wanted me to keep my pads in our bedroom instead of the bathroom because someone might see them and they should not be visible to anyone who comes to visit. I said to him it isn’t like they aren’t aware women have periods. Like I need to walk to my bedroom and get a pad every time I need one?? This is a huge part of the problem. A lot of men make it feel like it’s something we should hide and be ashamed about. I didn’t move them from the bathroom. But I made him move. I hope everyone had a great National Period Day. We should make menstrual products visible everywhere.
The soft cup changed my life. Its sustainable and reaction free. I hope all people who menstruate can have access to it.
I have been aware of period poverty for more than 20 years. It’s great that others are trying to solve the poverty for menstruation.
I used to go to grocery store to buy sanitary pads for my girlfriend, then my wife and now my daughter. No shame at all. Proud of it. But its very expensive.
Sergio, do they all know each other?
It would be nice to be able to donate some kits for woman who can not buy them. Or someone needs to start a gofundme for the woman’s shelter near us to buy them products. Many of them sit on public park benches, subways, eateries, etc and it can get very unsanitary.
I was a poor college student who could barely pay their rent . A lot of times I lived off of crackers and peanut butter and plain spaghetti so there were definitely times where I couldn’t afford feminine products. I’ve had lots of embarrassing moments with my period. I didn’t know who to ask for help and I was to embarrassed because growing up my mom never talked about it . I learned about periods at school. Now I don’t have money problems but I’m kind of a hoarder of feminine products. This is definitely a cause I would like to get behind.
Live and learn. Never knew that issue was such a serious matter. Enough respect to all the women like Julie Won who are on the front lines of creating the awareness and doing something about it. As humans we really have a long way to go.
NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY is celebrated on October 11, hope SSP reminds people that. My grandchild is coming out as pansexual to the rest of the family tomorrow on Zoom.
You’re going to tell me that women don’t have access to cheap tampons in Queens? This is not an important issue. Menstrual cups are cheap. Tampons are cheap. They are in every 99 cent store.
yes, it’s a necessity, but alot of women manage using products from dollar stores. it doesn’t have to be an organic brand.
I guess I’ll just….go with the flow
Nice. So many pharmacy shelves are empty due to the shoplifting surge in our neighborhood.
https://nypost.com/2021/10/09/nyc-drug-store-shelves-empty-amid-shoplifting-surge/
They offer pads for men who identify as women !
What rubbish
Happy Period Day.
You are a wholly owned arm of the corrupt Democratic party in Queens. Shame on you for showing up at putrid rotten fundraisers for people who are puppets for Transportation Alternatives who is destroying this neighborhood. You had better ask the dems for more money because a lot of your former supporters are voting Republican for the first time in their lives. Bad timing.
Crime is up and we can’t drive down 39th Ave anymore. Our new council person is worried about tampons. Off to a great start.
Julie Won can also hold additional sites for this project in the No Standing Zones on 39th Avenue where she lied to Sunnysiders and Woodsiders that the new bike blvd would not have any loss of parking with her Yes vote on the project. She can set up a table on every block along 39th Avenue. Each set of tables can be about three cars worth in length on every block from 52nd Street to 44th Street. How can this be when Julie Won voted for a bike lane with no loss of parking? I keep wondering this myself when she is ‘a person of her word’ who wants the public to believe in her leadership. You may disagree on an issue, but your character and word usually means something to most people. Apparently, not to Julie.
Am all for “raising awareness” that women are the ONLY people who have the ability to menstruate.