UNDIES

PBS FEATURE

Good reporting by PBS.  Of course if you're reading the articles I link to, you're already aware that menstrual equity is an issue in our country too. 

ZIMBABWE'S FIRST LADY

The first lady of Zimbabwe has partnered with Days for Girls to focus attention on the need for affordable supplies.  On Menstrual Hygiene Day, she donated some kits to some local girls and women.  Nice article.  It would be nice if more people of influence would speak out.

MENSTRUAL HYGIENE DAY

It was unfortunate timing that May 28th fell so close to our first Saturday in June workday, but we had about a dozen great workers assembling kits.  To celebrate their 11th birthday this fall, Days for Girls International plans to send 11,000 kits to female refugees in three countries--33,000 total.  I pledged that our chapter would contribute 500 towards that goal.  On Tuesday, we assembled 271 kits!  They're not needed until September at the earliest, so I'm feeling confident about reaching our goal.  About half of those volunteers were able to hang around and serge or sew after we put the kits together. Great day with great people!

Now I'm really looking forward to the back-to-school underwear sales this summer.  Five-hundred kits (1000 pairs of undies) really puts a dent in our inventory!  

Of course, all underwear we put it kits needs to be new.  The best styles for our needs are briefs, bikinis and hipsters.


If you've got an idea for replenishing this with donations, I'd love to hear it.  Do you know of a teen needing a community service project?

Here are some ideas from the past and from other chapters:

• Middle school kids (in Hawaii!) had bake sales to raise money for undies, bought at Target.com and had Target ship them to us
• A high school had a competition--which grade could bring in the most pairs of underwear
• A couple of churches had Sundays for Undies drives.  One served ice cream after services and called it Sundaes for Undies.
• A high school girl organized a dance and raised thousands dollars for the local chapter
• Other ideas?  How about a service organization or church group that might like to contribute or hold a raffle or other fundraiser for us?

Here's an article about a group of high-schoolers in Australia and how they're making a big impact.

JUNE 1 WORKDAY

Just four days after our Menstrual Hygiene Day work session, we also had a busy crew that gathered on June 1st.  

Patty is one of our amazing volunteers who's serged miles of liners for us.  So many, in fact, that she can do it with her eyes closed.  Of course there's a small outside chance of camera operator-error, or blinking.  You be the judge.

JULY 6 WORKDAY

I polled the group at our June 1 workday, and nobody had any conflicts with meeting two days after Independence Day.  So, we decided not to try to change our July workday date.  If you want to have an enjoyable Saturday and join some fun and interesting people while improving the lives and futures of some struggling girls and women you'll never meet, do consider joining us July 6 (or any other first Saturday).  If you have a serger, please bring it.  I have a few sewing machines people can borrow, although many prefer the familiarity of there own machines. And there are many necessary non-machine tasks too.

•