Volunteers collect thousands of pads and tampons for Seattle students

Meghan Walker Ballard

A group of volunteers based in Ballard recently hosted a back-to-school tampon drive, collecting over 6,000 pads and tampons to be distributed to Seattle Public School students.

Local nonprofit Seattle T2P2 will now organize the pads and tampons into 500 “period packs” for schools around the city, and they’re hoping to get a few more volunteers. The Period Pack Packing Party will be on Saturday, Oct. 6 from 11am to 1pm at the Locust Cider taproom in Ballard (5309 22nd Ave NW).

Volunteers plan to put 10 tampons and five pads into each waterproof period pack for distribution. “Students shouldn’t have to worry about pads and tampons when they get their period in school,” Seattle T2P2 founder Kate Hawk-Ritenauer writes in the event info.

“Pads and tampons are essential for young students getting their periods in school, but they can be hard to come by and expensive for this young group,” Hawk-Ritenauer writes. “People often host traditional school-supply drives to donate things like backpacks filled with paper and writing supplies, but pads and tampons are often overlooked as an essential supply.”

The packing party is a family friendly event, with an arcade and Nintendo games on site for kids. To learn more or RSVP, click here.

30 thoughts to “Volunteers collect thousands of pads and tampons for Seattle students”

  3. Weird that these girls parents can afford to live in Seattle, kids probably have phones, nails done etc. But they don’t have $6 (less for a generic box) A month for tampons? I mean im not saying it shouldn’t be done, just odd. Have never met a person so poor they were having their period everywhere.

    1. Good point. The only thing is that tampons are a necessity, having to buy feminine products shouldn’t limit people from affording luxury items such as cell phones especially seeing all the boys afford cell phones because they don’t have to buy them

    2. Yeah! I also forgot to mention that they put tampons in public restrooms for emergencies. And this might become something we might have to subsidize one day.. There’s all sorts of reasons

        1. “Spot” on? Pun intended? Seriously, I have no idea what you’re lobbying for and/or against with this one Scott.

  4. Wow. An article about a group of people selflessly collecting tampons for teenage girls and the comment thread is full of our resident sockpuppet troll shitposting under his many schizophrenic names.

    What a very sad life you must have.

        1. That’s it.

          If MyBallard won’t even delete “kill yourself” online harassment, this site is garbage. I’m out of here. Enjoy talking to yourself, socky.

  5. Those young people who can’t afford tampons, but have a $800.00 phone and a $10 Starbucks drink???
    What about organic tampons and pads?
    Joke

  6. They should put antivirals in these period packs in case the young ladies work at Starbucks.
    Muh bathroom rights!

    “All three employees also produced hospital, pharmacy and insurance receipts that show they took anti-viral medications to protect them from AIDS and hepatitis — after all three were poked by needles while on the job.

    One barista said customers put needles “in the tampon disposal boxes in the bathrooms, and we have to dig them out.”

    The three baristas all spoke with KIRO 7. Only one was willing to be interviewed on camera, as long as her identity was hidden.

    “I don’t want to lose my job for being the only one willing to say, someone listen to me. Do something about this. My friends are at risk,” she said.”

    https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/starbucks-baristas-poked-by-discarded-needles-1/845466157?utm_source=homestream&utm_medium=site_navigation&utm_campaign=homestream_click

  9. Rumor Has It that a special facility will be available for students wishing to spend the night while picking up their tampons, there will be no charge to stay there, it will be known as a stayfree mini pad…

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