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When local food shelf Neighbors, Inc. said they were low on pads and tampons, the local advocacy organization Women of West St. Paul (WoW) mobilized their pad drive. Since 2018, WoW has raised more than $30,000 to buy period products, plus countless truckloads of donated products.
Now they’re doing it again: “We deliver and provide receipts,” organizer Katie Dohman wrote in a post announcing the pad drive.
How It Works
- Donate: Cash donations can be made to organizers Katie Dohman or Abigail Hendricks via Venmo. They’re also accepting donations of pads, tampons, cups, period underwear, etc., including opened boxes (as long as the individual item is sealed), as well as cash and checks. Reach out to Dohman or Hendricks via Facebook to coordinate donations.
- Deadline: October 31. Dohman, Hendricks and their “fellow Bleed Queens” will caravan to Costco to buy as many pads and tampons as they can after Halloween.
- Delivery: All those period products will be delivered to Neighbors Inc., the local food shelf serving northern Dakota County. “They contacted me asking if we can help restock their shelves with period products,” Hendricks wrote in her Facebook post. “They said they are at an all time low for these items.”
Why It’s Necessary
“Period poverty is pervasive and a major need in food shelves nationwide,” Dohman wrote. “Everything feels bad, but can you imagine doing all this on your period without a pad?”
According to data from WoW, two-thirds of low-income people cannot afford period products each month. It can contribute to depression, worry, and disrupts learning.
“These items fly off shelves at food banks but are usually not the most donated item,” Hendricks wrote.
See the Impact
By the way, here’s what $15,000 in pads and tampons looks like from WoW’s 2023 effort:
Oct. 7, 2025 Update: Drop-Off Event
WoW is hosting a drop-off event on Sunday, October 12 from 1-4 at 1125 Charlton Street.
Nov. 3, 2025 Update: Period Products Delivered
The WoW pad drive ended on Friday and this morning six cars pulled up to Neighbors, Inc. loaded down with period products.
In just four weeks, this group of local neighbors delivered (complete with receipts):
- Over 1,000 boxes of pads and tampons.
- Totaling 1,303 pounds.
- $12,097 donated and approximately $2,000 in products.
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