Introduction: 12/27/2020

by Christina Yang

Welcome to SAPP’s first blog post! Students Against Period Poverty, or SAPP for short, is a student led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to provide menstrual products for impoverished menstruators.

Since starting as a small cohort of students determined to alleviate menstruators in period poverty in April 2020, our impact has already been far and wide. We’ve collected over 7,300 menstrual products including pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and more while raising almost $5,000 through our generous donors to fund our numerous volunteer programs, one being our Coronavirus-Affected Period Poverty Initiative Team (CAPP-IT) program for menstruators affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Our impact is steadily growing as new chapters have begun opening; make sure to apply for a new chapter and have a positive impact in your own community.

With SAPP, we’ve helped thousands of menstruators ease their worry of having the financial capacity to afford menstrual products while easing the stigma surrounding period poverty. We hope everyone understands what period poverty is while also dissolving the “period taboo.” And you can be a part of our success story. Helping SAPP gives back to your local community members, helps impoverished menstruators in need, promotes a giving culture, strengthens personal values such as self-esteem, and furthers our cause to wherever our impact can reach. SAPP is also a Presidential Service Award certifying organization, so one can get recognized by the President of the USA for their everlasting devotion towards our cause.

There are many ways to get involved. One can make physical donations of menstrual goods (tissues, baby wipes, masks, chapsticks, etc) or a tax-deductible monetary donation to our paypal (paypal.me/sapp4u), venmo (venmo.com/sapp4u), or by writing us a check (contact us for mailing address!). Any amount is appreciated. To get hands-on volunteer experience, you can join our CAPP-IT program and attend our workshops to get an idea of what advocating against period poverty is all about. If you don’t have any time or the financial capability to do so, do your part by spreading awareness about our cause through social media (IG: @officialsapp FB: @sapp4u) or by word of mouth! All action, no matter how small helps.

SAPP cannot be successful without the help of shelters and districts such as CityTeam, House of Grace, America’s Promise Alliance, the Oakland Awesome Foundation, Safe Alternatives Against Violent Environments, the Period Movement, the Fremont Unified School District, and more. We also host contactless drop offs where we work with schools and provide menstrual hygiene products to low-income families alongside grab and go lunches. Soon, we are planning on hosting seminars to inform members of our community about period poverty and opening workshops to assemble care packages. Alongside these events, we plan on giving presentations during health classes in order to spread awareness about period poverty among the youth. Our opportunities are vast and it’ll be great for you to come join us! Sign up under our “Get Involved” tab.

About the author

Hello! My name is Christina Yang and I am a senior at Irvington High School. Once I did some research for my QUEST project on period poverty, I was astonished at how the issue is not being talked about more. By being a part of SAPP, I hope to spread the word about period poverty and help lessen the issue.