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Period Promise Donation Drive encourages community to donate menstrual hygiene products for individuals in need

February 27, 2025

Kingston, ON (February 27, 2025) United Way KFL&A is excited to announce the Period Promise (formerly Tampon Tuesday) Donation Drive.

Starting March 1 and running until March 31, 2024, community members are encouraged to donate tampons, pads, liners and other menstrual hygiene products. The donation drive aims to fill a gap in the Kingston Frontenac, Lennox & Addington area; One in five people who menstruate are likely to experience period poverty this year. Period Promise is an easy way to help people experiencing vulnerability live with the dignity that we all deserve. This initiative will once again work locally with organized Labour partners and Shoppers Drug Mart.

“These collection drives are extremely important for so many agencies and individuals in our community,” said John DiPaolo, President and CEO of United Way KFL&A. “Nobody should have to choose between feeding their family and being able to afford basic hygiene products. We are grateful for the wonderful response to this donation drive every year, and I’m sure the community will step up once again to show their support.”

Last year, the KFL&A community showed their support by donating over 100,000 products. After collection, these products are distributed to program users through local agencies.

"Menstrual hygiene products can be very expensive but are a necessity for many. Can you imagine worrying about buying a product that you need or buying food for your family? We see this with individuals at Interval House, struggling to make ends meet,” explained Leigh Martins, Training, Education and Volunteer Coordinator at Kingston Interval House. “Having these products donated by the United Way, allows us to give them the products they need so that they can use their money to buy other necessary items."

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

Donations will be collected at the following locations:

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.
  • all Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Napanee, Amherstview and Kingston
  • Starbucks locations in Kingston (RioCan and Indigo)
  • Cher-Mere west end location, 787 Blackburn Mews
  • Curves 650 Cataraqui Woods Drive, Unite 104

 

Products can also be donated by

  • purchasing items from an Amazon wishlist
  • monetary donations can be made online – and will be used to purchase items for distribution to community organizations

For information and resources, including collection site posters, visit https://www.unitedwaykfla.ca/periodpromise/ or call the United Way KFL&A office at 613-542-2674 or email events@unitedwaykfla.ca

Note: United Way KFL&A encourages inclusiveness for Period Promise and using the term “menstrual hygiene products”

Only menstrual hygiene products are being collected; no adult incontinence or other products at this time.

About Period Promise

For the past few years in March, United Way KFL&A has led a local “Tampon Tuesday” initiative, a drive to collect and distribute donated menstrual products for people in need. Now operating locally as Period Promise, United Way continues to work alongside local labour partners to lead the way in improving access to menstrual products.

United Way Period Promise works to increase access to menstrual products in our community so that everyone who menstruates can go to work, get to school, access services, and stay connected to their community.

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

 

How products will be distributed locally

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

Addiction & Mental Health Services-KFL&A

BGC South East

Community Health Centres Kingston and Napanee

Dawn House

Dress for Success

Elizabeth Fry Society of Kingston

Girls Inc.

Home Base Housing

Independent Living Centre Kingston

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

Pathways to Education

Resolve Counselling

Salvation Army Community & Family Services

Street Health

St. Vincent de Paul Society

Trellis HIV & Community Care

Youth Diversion