Last month we reflected on women’s history, but no matter the time of year, we wanted to ensure that we remember the needs of women across our communities, and provide avenues with which to support them.
For Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty global real estate advisor Jen Post, who represents home buyers and sellers in the Seattle area, her job doesn’t end when she successfully negotiates on behalf of her clients in our fast-paced market. She’s also a mom and a wife who recognized the need to supply necessities to those who may otherwise be unable to afford them.
Enter T2P2: a menstrual product donation collective committed to disrupting period poverty throughout Seattle and beyond. The name stands for “Towers of Tampons and Pyramids of Pads”. The expense of sanitary napkins (pads) and tampons is often too great for those struggling to find permanent shelter, their next meal, or take care of family. Pads and tampons also face a tax as a luxury item, despite the fact that the products are a medical necessity.
“I was very involved in the organization (T2P2) in Cleveland, and when we moved out here, we started a chapter out here,” said Jen, who started the organization with her friend who had also made the move from Ohio. “We started in 2016. It was very grassroots and organic.
Let’s talk about the nitty-gritty because when periods and tampons aren’t available, the situation is grim. According to a piece shared by Bustle in 2016, featuring intimate interviews with women living on the street, when period products aren’t available, a few of the items they might improvise include napkins, toilet paper, socks, and plastic bags. And when items are also improvised for use as tampons, it can, in the worst scenario, create a medical emergency.
Before COVID-19-related restrictions went into place, Jen and the group would help organize “Period Parties” often hosted at a volunteer’s house, or even out at a brewery. They would form an assembly line to put together “period packs”—small waterproof bags containing 10 tampons and five pads.
Volunteers can also hold drives for supplies, which T2P2 can help facilitate. “We can do drives in businesses, moms groups, birthday parties, and then we break down the product into the period packs,” explained Jen.
When it’s time to get these packs into the hands of those that need them most, T2P2 works with over 30 local organizations, food pantries, and shelters to supply them with as many packs as they can take, so they’re prepared to help when it’s needed.
T2P2 is also the no. 1 provider of pads and tampons to all of Seattle Public Schools, every year.
We want to thank Jen and T2P2 for all of their work, making our community a better place by providing these necessary hygiene items for women in need.
If you would like to get involved, T2P2 accepts donations at their PayPal account, used to purchase and distribute pads and tampons. Follow their work at their website, and on Facebook and Instagram.