FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Cooper
781-239-2636
ecooper@massbay.edu
![Free period products at MassBay]( "Free period products at MassBay")
MassBay Community College Wellesley Hills campus bathroom with a period products and a flyer describing the Dignity Matters partnerships, Wellesley, MA June 2023 (Photo/MassBay Community College).
WELLESLEY HILLS, Mass. (October 19, 2023) — MassBay Community College and Framingham, MA-based non-profit organization Dignity Matters are celebrating a two-year partnership of providing free period products to students who are fighting “period poverty” or the inability to pay for period supplies. This initiative was based on the growing trend of disadvantaged or homeless young women and girls who struggle to purchase period products at some point in their lives while also dealing with financial stresses. According to a study by Kotex, more than two of five people who have periods have struggled to purchase feminine hygiene products, and between 2018 and 2021, that number increased by 35%.
“The cost of period products is often a hidden burden,” said Elizabeth Blumberg, Psy.D., MassBay Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students. “We are so grateful to Dignity Matters, providing assistance to MassBay students who struggle with the financial cost of these vital health care products. Over the past few years, we have heard directly from students how this program is truly making a difference in their lives.”
Since September 2021, MassBay has partnered with Dignity Matters who collects, purchases, and supplies feminine hygiene products, bras, and underwear to women and girls who are homeless or disadvantaged, in order to help them stay healthy, regain self-confidence, and live with basic dignity. Through the partnership, Dignity Matters provides a monthly supply of tampons and pads for approximately 155 students, which is distributed in bathrooms throughout the three campuses of Ashland, Framingham, and Wellesley Hills. To date 28,344 pads, 36,850 tampons, 7,640 liners, and additional toiletries have been provided to MassBay students, with the products valued at more than $18,000.
“Lack of access to menstrual care is a deal breaker for women - without these items they can’t attend class, go to work, or take care of their families during their period,” said Founder and Executive Director of Dignity Matters, Kate Sanetra-Butler. “Many of these students have overcome incredible barriers to get to college, and we won't let period poverty be the one that holds them back.”
One student reported the following about the partnership with Dignity Matters, “Every expense is significant when you are in school, and every penny must be stretched. Not having to worry about paying for period products is a relief. I don’t have to worry about running out of what I need when I need to focus on my classes and clinical.”
This partnership is led by MassBay’s Student Nourishment And Care Committee (SNACC), which is a group of staff, faculty, students, and community volunteers who are dedicated to eliminating basic need barriers that are obstacles to student success.
MassBay Community College is the most affordable higher education option in MetroWest Boston, offering a robust portfolio of courses and more than 70 associate degree and certificate programs with flexible day, evening, and weekend classes in Ashland, Framingham, Wellesley Hills, and online. MassBay students receive an unmatched educational value by earning stackable credits that transfer to bachelor’s degree programs, and workforce-ready skills necessary to advance careers in high-demand fields such as health and life sciences, automotive technology, engineering, business, cybersecurity, and the humanities. MassBay’s Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) and Practical Nursing (LPN) programs were both ranked as the #1 Nursing Program in Massachusetts in 2020-2021 by national nursing advocacy organizations RegisteredNursing.org, and PracticalNursing.org. Since its founding in 1961, MassBay has been accredited by several governing bodies and remains firmly committed to its mission of meeting the needs of the diverse local communities it serves. We value the intrinsic worth of all individuals, collectively in pursuit of inclusiveness and prioritize our work towards achieving equity within our community and beyond.