Pure Country hosts Tampon Tuesday drop-off event

Pure Country 91.7 in Sudbury is looking to help those experiencing period poverty through Tampon Tuesday drop-off days.

Tuesday was the first of two days aimed at having people donate feminine hygiene products at the New Sudbury and South End Shoppers Drug Marts.

"We've already seen lots of these feminine hygiene products come in, but that being said, the need is still there we would love to see even more," said morning show host Josh Corbett.

Tampon Tuesday was created back in 2009 by Bell Media employee Mandi Fields. She said it was sparked by a tour of the London food bank where she saw the shelf for period products was empty.

But for Fields, it goes much deeper than that.

"I lived period poverty," she said.

"I was 17 when my mother died. She died of leukemia -- she was only 46 -- and I became my 13-year-old brother's guardian (when) I was still in high school."

She remembers being in Grade 12 and not being able to attend tournaments with the field hockey team because she couldn't afford tampons.

"I didn’t go to school because you have to manage the flow and it doesn’t go away," Fields said.

"I think that’s why we’ve had such long longevity of Tampon Tuesday, because the need is real and the face of poverty is female."

Donation bins can be found at the New Sudbury and South End Shoppers Drug Mart locations. The products will be brought to the local United Way to be distributed to local food banks and organizations across the city.

"One in four Canadians are struggling to make the decision between are they going to buy food to put on their table or are they buying menstrual hygiene products," said Katherine Cockburn, United Way Northeastern Ontario.

"This is a need that doesn’t go away that especially during the pandemic, one in seven girls were worried about how they were going to be able to afford menstrual hygiene products and that leads to individuals missing school."

The next Tampon Tuesday drop-off day will take place June 28 again at both Shoppers Drug Mart locations.