Two Milwaukee friends hold their third annual period party to combat period poverty

In 2022, Nicole Dachs approached her friend Jamie Robarge, a photographer in Milwaukee, to ask if she’d be interested in hosting a period party. Dachs volunteers weekly at the Milwaukee Diaper Mission, packing period kits — free kits of pads and tampons, which the group then distributes to organizations to provide to people in need.

The period kit program is part of a goal to end period poverty. According to the Alliance for Period Supplies, two in five people who menstruate struggle to afford menstruation supplies, which leads to their missing work, school and activities.

Robarge had heard of the Milwaukee Diaper Mission’s work to supply free diapers to caregivers in need, and was eager to help out with the mission to supply free period products as well.

In December of 2022, the friends hosted their first period poverty at Robarge’s photography studio. They collected about 5,000 pads and tampons, and raised $1,000 for period products, all of which they donated to the Milwaukee Diaper Mission. Then the friends decided to host another one just six months later, to coincide with Period Poverty Awareness Week in May. This one was at Boone & Crockett and even more popular, raising more than $3,000 and collecting 25,000 pads and tampons.

And, they’re hoping that their next party, coming up on May 19, will be their biggest period party yet. Here’s what Robarge and Dachs have to say about their upcoming event.

What is a period party?

Dachs: Whenever I pack period kits for the Milwaukee Diaper Mission, it’s like they fly off the shelves so I know there’s a need for pads and tampons. I wanted to host a drive to help supply them with more, but I also really love throwing parties. I didn’t want to just host a drive; I wanted to make it a party and something that’s fun to celebrate menstruation vs. it being a taboo that people don’t talk about. I want it to be loud and in every room and accepted that it’s just a part of life that more than half the population experiences.

Robarge: At our period parties, we encourage people to bring tampons and pads, and then we also have local businesses that donate raffle items. So we raise money through the raffle to buy more pads and tampons.

What can people expect at this year’s period party?

Robarge: Our party this year is at Enlightened Brewing Company, 2020 S. Allis St., from 1 to 4 p.m. We’ll have people donate pads and tampons again and have a raffle again. We’re also going to have music and we’ll have the street blocked off with food vendors. There will be baked treats and Enlightened will have a featured drink. We’ll also be incorporating some form of visual art.

Why don’t more people know about period poverty?

Robarge: People stigmatize menstruation. We all have personal stories like in high school, whispering to someone that you need a tampon and then hiding it up the sleeve of your sweatshirt. And personal stories aside, last year when we were planning the party, we reached out to businesses to help us collect period products. One business only put up signage in the women’s locker room so the drive wasn’t seen anywhere else in that business. Why shouldn’t that signage be put out in a more public space, in the main lobby? That was an eye-opener for me about how periods are stigmatized.

What else do you do to raise period awareness and combat period poverty?

Dachs: I’ve been paying more attention when I’m out in public and in public restrooms. I see the vending machines that are supposedly providing products, but they’re empty or you have to pay for them, or a business says you have to see the manager for the products. It’s just unfair.

I have a goal to see more period products available in all public spaces for free.

So I’ve started covering yogurt containers in decorative fabric to make baskets and asking several businesses if they’d be willing to host the baskets in their bathrooms and provide free period products for people. The businesses that have agreed, I set them up with the basket and a certificate of recognition that says the business is making the pledge to support menstruators by providing products for free.

A few times where I work, people have told me, “I’m so grateful this is here; you saved me today.” People feel seen and know there are other people who understand and know these products are needed and care enough to put them out there.