The week of November 28 to December 2, the Women and Gender Studies Club of Canisius College held their first annual tampon drive. E-board members sat in the library and collected boxed and individual tampons to donate to homeless women in Buffalo, New York. After the event, the club bought bulk tampons using the donated money. Predominantly, the support was fantastic. Many students and faculty said they had never thought about homeless women getting their periods; others bought boxes specifically to donate after seeing the table at the library. In total, the club raised a little over 2,000 tampons and pads. They donated about 1,000 each to the Cornerstone Manner division of the Buffalo City Mission and Vive Pads. It was a very successful donation drive, and the Women and Gender Studies Club plans to make it an annual drive and work with the Cornerstone Manner in the future.

However, although most of the support was extremely positive, there were a few outliers. After an e-board member asked two businessmen if they would like to donate, they laughed to themselves and later complained that the drive made them feel uncomfortable. A student also opened one of the tampons that was meant to be donated to a homeless woman. It is surprising that menstruation is still such a taboo subject in 2016, since it is a natural bodily function, and women should not have to choose between a comfortable period and a meal.

When people think of donating to homeless people, they usually think of nonperishable food items and old clothes. However, when you’re cleaning our your closets, make sure to remember that your donated clothes are going to individuals. At nonprofit organizations, there are usually volunteers who sort through and wash donated clothes, and discard clothes with copious stains, hair clumps, or tears. Homeless individuals still want to feel pride in their appearances, and a quality donation can make the difference between a homeless person getting a new job or not. Similarly, there are many important items that nonprofits are usually lacking in donations, such as menstruation products, bras, underwear (brand new and unused), and plus-sized clothing and bras. So next time you're cleaning our your closet and want to make a difference, think about all the challenges homeless individuals face.