Launched in November 2018, the extremely successful “Time of the Month” initiative (TOTM) has brought in new volunteers as well as increased awareness of the issue of menstrual equity with our membership, the public and the agencies we collect for. Since its inception, through the generosity of our volunteers, friends, family and colleagues we have collected and distributed over 2,200 packages of product (over 90,000 units).
To date, we have collected product for agencies such as Holy Trinity Food Pantry in West Orange, Morristown Community Soup Kitchen, Family Promise-Morris County Chapter, IFPO, Interfaith Hospitality Network, the Department of Child Protection and Permanency in Newark, Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey, North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NCJRI) and Rent Party Pantry in Maplewood.
A “Time of the Month” volunteer serves as a representative of NCJW/ESSEX and an ambassador of the project. Your role is to identify an agency, reach out to friends, colleagues, neighbors, family and collect product for an entire month to be donated to the agency you have selected.
It’s easy, fun, and life-changing to do a Time of the Month collection!
1) Choose an agency/organization/temple/church that is important to you for your collection. If you would like, we can supply you with an NCJW/Essex agency. If you do have an agency in mind, please let us know which one as we would like the opportunity to vet them first.
2) After you have selected an agency, contact them and let them know that you are a representative from NCJW/ESSEX Period.Project. Give them a little history about the TOTM (see above) and ask them if they would like to be the recipients of a month long collection of menstrual product. If you feel comfortable, you can ask what type of product they prefer (pads, tampons). You can also ask how many women/girls they serve each month.
3) After you have spoken with your agency, reach out to your contacts. Below are some examples of letters you can send or post on social media. Feel free to modify them, but please be sure to include that you are doing this collection for NCJW/Essex Period.Project.
Sample email:
Hello friends!
As part of an NCJW/Essex Period.Project initiative called Time of the Month, I will be collecting menstrual products for the (agency name) in (town) through the end of _(month)__.
Each month, there are women and girls in our neighborhood and all throughout the county and state that cannot afford, or do not have access menstrual product. Women are often forced to make difficult financial decisions and often times miss work. Girls frequently miss school…
I hope you will join me in this cause by donating new, unopened menstrual products to name of agency. I will be accepting pads of all sizes, tampons, mini pads and feminine wipes.
Please check out our website for more information https://ncjwessex.org/period-project and be sure to scroll down and watch our two minute video,
Please drop donations at my house (front door please) __address_____.
Thank you very much!! We so appreciate your generosity!!
PS- Pick- ups or other arrangements can be made as well
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Hi Facebook friends —
Did you know that there are women and girls who cannot afford or do not have access to menstrual products? This month I am collecting menstrual products for _(agency name)_ in __(town)__ on behalf of the NCJW/Essex Period.Project. You can help raise awareness about this important issue and directly help women and girls living only a few miles away from us by donating products that will go directly to (name of agency).
I hope you will join me! Please PM me for more details (drop off location/day/time). To learn more about the Period.Project, visit www.ncjwessex.org/period-project. Thank you for your support!
4) Some people have chosen to purchase product on Amazon and have it sent to your house, rather than purchase product at a local store. This is an excellent idea and you can certainly mention it to your contacts. If they do chose do donate this way, please have them include a gift card so you will know who the recipient is.
5) As your collections start rolling in, please keep a tally of how many boxes or packages of pads, tampons, liners, etc., you receive as well as the total individual units broken out by type of product. Some people donate boxes of 96 or 120 (!!) and you don’t get a real scope of how much product is donated unless you figure the total number of units. As you can see above, we received 90,000 thousand units of product and 2,200 packages.
6) When you are finished with your collection, contact the agency and let them know that you would like to drop off the product. Please be sure to take lots of photos when you do! And finally, please send us your photos along with your completed tally. THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for your passion and dedication to this cause and for working towards menstrual equity for all women. Our goal is to erase period stigma, bring awareness to this issue that affects us all and make menstrual product available to all women.
If you are interested in collecting for a TOTM or have any questions at all, please feel free to contact us:
Adrienne Lewin adriennelewin@yahoo.com
Jeanne Gordon jsimon9500@hotmail.com
