WI food bank campaign scheduled for February

The Women’s Institute’s “Taking Care of Women’s Business. Period” collection campaign is scheduled for February.

The aim of the 28-day campaign is to collect product or monetary donations to address the need for feminine hygiene products for P.E.I. food banks. The provincial P.E.I. Women’s Institute and branches want to ensure there are sufficient feminine hygiene products for the increasing number of clients across Prince Edward Island.

More than 500 women, not including youth, are in monthly need of items like tampons, pads or menstruation cups for women’s monthly cycles.

Mike MacDonald, the executive director of the food bank, says since the program started donations have steadily increased and so has the requirement.

“The need for products continues to climb, as often self care goes down the list when women are worried about other basics needs such as food,” MacDonald says.

“This campaign has a significant impact on those in need in the community”.

P.E.I. WI provincial board members have moved the campaign from March to February to better reflect the campaign’s intent. The campaign now takes place Feb. 1-28, a month earlier then when the campaign had begun in 2015 in March.

Beginning in 2015, the campaign has raised over $15,000 worth of product or donation. Each year, the entire inventory collected is distributed to food banks across the Island within the weeks of the collection.

In March 2018 record numbers of collections had taken place. WI hopes to increase that for the 2019 campaign.

The PEIWI issues collections challenges to all branches, organizations, businesses, families and individuals.

Drop-off locations include Murphy’s Pharmacy across P.E.I., Main Street Pharmasave in Souris, and the WI office at 40 Enman Cres. in Charlottetown. Online donations can be made online at: URHM.org.