Congratulations to our April 2025 grantee Period Poverty in St. Paul. We are proud to partner with Darartu Doto to provide personal hygiene kits to people experiencing poverty and homelessness in St. Paul.

According to Darartu,
Did you know that period poverty is a global issue and closer to home than we think? I didn’t—at least not at first. Growing up in Ethiopia, period poverty was everywhere, and I thought it was a challenge unique to underserved areas in developing countries. But when I started Bilisummaa, a nonprofit focused on menstrual health education and providing hygiene products to students in Ethiopia, I had a wake-up call. Period poverty doesn’t stop at borders—it’s right here too!
To my surprise, my hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota, faces similar struggles. I learned that many organizations supporting those experiencing homelessness and poverty run out of essential hygiene products, including menstrual supplies. Their tight budgets are focused on covering immediate needs like housing, food, and education. The fantastic staff and volunteers pour their hearts into their work but often share how difficult it is to meet even basic menstrual health needs.
That got me thinking—why stop at Ethiopia? Why not expand Bilisummaa’s mission to tackle period poverty here at home? Imagine this: by giving period kits to local shelters and organizations, we’d not only help them save money but also let them focus on other significant needs for the people they support. And the best part? We’d break the stigma around periods and turn menstrual health into something empowering instead of something to feel embarrassed about.
I want to team up with St. Paul organizations to ensure that no one has to choose between a meal or buying tampons because they lack access to hygiene products. Together, we can rewrite the narrative on menstruation and prove that periods should never hold anyone back.
From Ethiopia to St. Paul and beyond, let’s make period poverty history and create a world where everyone can succeed—period.