United Way Niagara has announced that Meridian Credit Union has joined the 2023 Period Promise campaign as a presenting sponsor with a $10,000 donation.
United Way will officially announce the partnership at the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce’s International Women’s Day Celebration on March 3.
Inflation has affected so much of our spending in the last several years, and period products are no exception.
In 2019, roughly one in three women and girls in Canada had to often or occasionally make budgetary sacrifices in order to afford menstrual products.
With the help of local leaders such as Meridian, Niagara can make strides towards improving this situation for people who menstruate, as period products should be a right – not a luxury, the United Way said in a news release.
“I think it’s fitting that the theme for International Women’s Day this year is ‘Embrace Equity’ because at the heart of the period poverty issue is inequity,” said United Way Niagara CEO Frances Hallworth.
“We’re so glad that Meridian has joined this campaign to help us close the gap, because as prices continue to climb, more and more people are finding themselves deciding between period products and other essentials.”
Despite the best efforts of United Way and many dedicated volunteers and donors, requests for period products always outnumber the quantity of products available for distribution.
“Meridian is committed to help provide all people and communities access to the resources they need, giving them the opportunity to thrive, participate and flourish,” said Shelley Dix, Meridian's district vice president.
“We are honoured to be working with United Way in this community-focused partnership and hope we can help make a meaningful impact for women and girls in Niagara.”
You can find a list of all the community drop-off locations throughout the campaign and more information about the initiative on the Period Promise website.
