JASON SETNYK
The United Way/Centraide of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry teamed up with Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services and Booster Juice to host its annual Period Promise collection event, this year with a new twist: “Stuff the Funbulance.”
Held at Booster Juice in Cornwall’s Glengarry Square, the event invited community members to donate menstrual hygiene and incontinence products while learning more about the services offered by local paramedics through tours of the Funbulance, a specially designed community outreach vehicle operated by Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services.
The campaign is part of United Way’s ongoing effort to address period poverty, an issue that affects individuals and families throughout Cornwall, SDG Counties, and Akwesasne.
“This is our fifth year hosting Period Promise,” said Melanie Boileau, marketing and fundraising coordinator with United Way SDG. “Typically, in the past, it’s been Stuff the Bus. This year we thought we’d change it up a bit and Stuff the Funbulance.”
Throughout the day, donors dropped off pads, tampons, liners, menstrual cups, period underwear, wipes, and incontinence products. In return, Booster Juice provided a buy-one-get-one 50 percent off smoothie coupon for each donation.
Boileau said the event attracted both new and returning supporters.
“It’s been a steady flow,” she said. “We have people coming in that are new donors. We have recurring donors. Local organizations like the CFUW come back every year to contribute menstrual products.”
She added that the Funbulance partnership created opportunities for community conversations that extended beyond donations.
“I think people are really excited about the Funbulance and that they get to have those conversations with the paramedics to learn about the services available to our community members,” said Boileau. “We’ve spent a lot of one-on-one time with people, talking about situations of people they know and personal stories. It’s nice to be able to see people face-to-face and still have these in-person events.”
According to Stephanie Lapointe, interim executive director of United Way SDG, period poverty refers to the inability to consistently afford menstrual products, forcing some people to make difficult choices between hygiene needs and other household expenses.
“When we talk about period poverty, we’re looking at the struggle to afford essential health items during menstruation,” said Lapointe. “Pads and tampons are essential items for people who menstruate.”
She noted that lacking access to proper products can create health risks and barriers to daily activities.
“Without them, it can be dangerous because there are unsanitary ways to fill in those gaps, or it could be the reason someone doesn’t go to work one day and may have to miss,” Lapointe said.
The campaign’s goal is to collect products that can be distributed through local agencies and community organizations serving those in need.
“These products are sometimes deprioritized when you’re also trying to afford your rent, your electricity bill, and other essential costs,” she said. “It is our effort to collect as many products as we can to distribute them to local organizations to ensure that anyone who is in need of a product can get access to it.”
The issue has also become a growing focus within local schools. Earlier in the month, students at CCVS launched the Pink Lock Project, a student-led initiative providing discreet access to menstrual products through lockers stocked with free supplies.
Lapointe said projects like the Pink Lock Project help address both access and dignity, particularly for young people.
“It is really important that people have access to not only products in general, but the products that they’re most comfortable using,” she said.
While the Funbulance event served as the campaign’s signature collection day, the broader Period Promise campaign continued throughout May. More than 20 collection sites across Cornwall, SDG, and Akwesasne accepted donations, including pharmacies, businesses, and community organizations.
“We’ve already had a few businesses reach out to us and say, ‘We’ve already filled our bin, come back,'” said Lapointe. “It’s been really fabulous to see that support from the pharmacies and the stores where they probably see first-hand the people who cannot afford these products.”
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