Share the Dignity, a charity who distributes sanitary items to those in need, is calling on City of Whittlesea residents to participate in a Dignity Drive following an increased need across Victoria for period care products.
In a partnership with Woolworths, Share the Dignity’s Dignity Drive during August aims to directly address period poverty and increase the number of freely available period care products across Victoria.
Woolworths will donate five cents from each period care product sold during the drive to help fund support local community initiatives and Share the Dignity’s dignity vending machines.
Since the partnership began in 2019, Woolworths customers have donated more than 575,000 period care products.
In March, Woolworths customers donated more than 82,000 period care products and Woolworths donated $119,000 to Share the Dignity.
Woolworths Victoria state manager Sarah Gooding said Woolworths was proud to continue its partnership with Share The Dignity and support the meaningful change they were creating.
“We would also like to thank all our Whittlesea City customers who have donated as their generous contribution has helped lessen the impact of an already challenging time,” she said.
Share the Dignity volunteer state team leader Donna Levinson-Murray said the Dignity Drive would run across Woolworths supermarkets in the City of Whittlesea.
Customers can purchase any period care product and donate it in store via the pink collection boxes located at the front of every Woolworths store or add a cash donation at Woolworths registers.
“Our efforts across Whittlesea are well and truly in motion to end period poverty and we are pleased to have the support of Woolworths to raise awareness and lessen the impact again this year, following a successful Dignity Drive in March,” she said.
Dignity vending machines offer free period products accessible in bathrooms in schools, hospitals, homeless shelters, women’s refuge centres and other local community organisations.
Nationally, Woolworths-sponsored machines have dispensed more than 68,000 free period packs since the first machine was installed in 2019.
Period care products such as selected tampons and pads will be on sale as part of the Woolworths weekly catalogue, encouraging customers to purchase an item to donate for those in need.
Share the Dignity makes a real, on-the-ground difference in the lives of women and girls experiencing homelessness, fleeing domestic violence or doing it tough.
For more information, visit www.sharethedignity.org.au.
