By Melanie Pace | Broadcast Reporter
The American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA) assembled period packs for homeless women on Thursday night using donations from their feminine products drive.
Friendswood senior Sowmika Boppana, AMWA’s service chair, said the group collected enough donations to provide period packs to the homeless community for the rest of the semester.
Boppana said it is “not OK that women don’t have access” to feminine products “just because of their socioeconomic status.”
“Everyone just gets super uncomfortable during that type of the month anyway,” Boppana said.
Each period pack includes pads, tampons, pain medication, a handmade rice heating pad and a hand-written letter from the association’s members. The packs will be donated to Compassion Ministries and Care Net here in Waco.
Along with supporting homeless women, Boppana said she hopes the drive also removes some of the stigma associated with periods.
“It’s natural, it’s something that 50 percent of the population goes through on a monthly basis,” Boppana said. “Men do get uncomfortable about it, but that’s probably because we’re also so secretive about it.”
Though she said she challenges male students to go out and buy tampons and pads for future drives, Boppana said pain medication helps too.
“It’s important to take care of the women around you, and to empower them to take care of themselves,” Boppana said.
