From now until Fall Fest, which takes place October 9th, NDA will be collecting donations for House of Hope. 

“We are hosting a period drive for people in Green Bay,” said Molly Kukiela, one of the leaders of this project, “specifically for those people who go to House of Hope.”

This collection, spearheaded by Kukiela and Mary Popkey, will focus on collecting products that people who menstruate need, such as tampons, pads, bras and general hygiene products. 

“When organizations are looking to get donations,” Popkey said, “people won’t donate things like period products as much because it’s not something that is as talked about.”

Recognizing this need, Popkey and Kukiela teamed up with an organization called “Her Drive” to collect these items for House of Hope. 

Her Drive, a Chicago-based nonprofit, has donated over 600,000 tampons, pads, bras, and general hygiene items since their founding in June of 2020. 

Popkey learned about Her Drive and knew she wanted to host a drive here. She partnered with Kukiela, who had experience running the Thanksgiving food drive last year at Notre Dame, to make the drive a reality. 

The pair wanted to focus this service drive on helping combat “period poverty,” a term used to describe a lack of access to menstrual hygiene products. 

“About one in four menstruators experience period poverty around the world,” said Popkey, “and even though you might think ‘oh that’s just in third-world countries,’ people still struggle with having access to period products in the United States.”

“We did this because we wanted to provide tampons and pads to people who aren’t in a financial situation where they could easily have access to them,” said Kukiela. 

“As people who menstruate,” said Popkey, “we have definitely experienced the issue of just trying to find a tampon, and we can’t imagine what it’s like for people who aren’t able to afford that kind of product.”

If you are interested in donating, there is a collection box in the Notre Dame atrium, along with one at Kavarna Coffeehouse in downtown Green Bay. In addition, Popkey and Kukiela are offering contactless pick-up of products for their collection. 

“A lot of people get periods,” said Popkey. “It’s not talked about enough, and so a lot of organizations are in need. Period products are a necessity.”