Non-profit Dignity Matters delivers much-needed feminine hygiene products to shelters
FRAMINGHAM - Dignity Matters is a non-profit that collects and distributes bras, underwear, and menstrual products to more than 160 organizations for 14,000 homeless women and girls across eastern Massachusetts every month.
"This is not something that is just nice to have. Menstrual care is a must because otherwise women can't work and go to school," said Kate Sanetra-Butler, Founder and Executive Director of Dignity Matters.
Along with the products they buy, they also have a medium-sized room filled with donated menstrual products.
"There are programs in place like [The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] and [Children Nutrition Program] food stamps that allow people to purchase food, but none of those programs at either the federal or state level in Massachusetts allow you to buy menstrual care," said Meryl Glassman, Director of Development at Dignity Matters.
That's where Dignity Matters comes in, but they don't think they should be the only option.
As a non-profit, they also had to deal with logistical issues during the pandemic. They weren't immune to supply chain issues. Sometimes, it took four to five months to get supplies, while the number of women they served more than quadrupled.
"Pure volume of the product that we needed to distribute, we're talking hundreds of thousands of units every month," Sanetra-Butler said.
The organization purchases 75% of their products, and right now, those products are costing them at least 25% more to buy because of inflation.
"We're also having to purchase these products at much less-defined times. It used to be that we would purchase when we have grant funds available. Now we have to purchase those products whenever they become available, and it might be two-to-three days," Glassman said.
Despite the logistical strain put on the organization, the need for the products they offer hasn't slowed down. Every week, they are flooded with volunteers from organizations, picking up the orders from the Framingham warehouse.
"I saw first-hand that this is something that they needed, the shelter doesn't have a big supply of feminine care products and certainly doesn't have any access to bras or underwear," said Susan Holbrook, a volunteer for a women's homeless shelter.
Holbrook said the staff and women at the Woods-Mullens shelter are always thrilled when she calls to say she's dropping off items from Dignity Matters that day.
It's a need and strain the organization is willing to take on because of their core mission that dignity matters.
For more information, visit their website.
