Letter of thanks highlights how free feminine hygiene products can be a 'blessing'
Girl Up UWindsor has pantries set up in more than half a dozen locations around Windsor
It's been a year since a University of Windsor students group has been providing free menstrual products across the city.
And now they know how at least one person who uses the service feels about it.
The author used blue marker and drew a big heart at the top, near where they underlined the name of the recipient. "Dear P. Pantry."
"You'll never understand what a blessing !!! this is," said the anonymous writer, who left the letter in the cabinet at Wolf and Rebel, a self-care boutique in Ford City.
"Been unemployed two months due to an injury and have had little to no money :(. This has helped me so much when trying to make ends meet. You've saved me during my time of the month. XO anonymous."
Girl Up UWindsor's Period Pantry initiative launched last year, with some of the pantries set up at Windsor Public Libraries and other locations like the Sandwich Teen Action Group. Eight or nine pantries are set up, with more in the works.
The Wolf and Rebel pantry is most accessible, says Isabelle Dib, president of Girl Up UWindsor. And when the university group doesn't fill it with donations, Wolf and Rebel founder Annie Vanrivong fills it with donations herself.
The project aims to put free menstrual products in the hands of those who need them but struggle with the cost.
"Especially with inflation now and just the financial struggles people face, day-to-day period products can be expensive," Dib said.
"And if you don't have enough money for even food, sometimes the period products get cut from your budget. So we're just trying to make peoples lives easier."
Vanrivong says she's gotten positive feedback.
"We're accepting donations all the time. You can always come and drop it off at the store during store hours, or you can leave it in the pantry if we're not open, and then we always will bring it in and package them."
Girl Up is an initiative of the United Nations Foundation that promotes education, health and safety for young women and girls. The UWindsor chapter was founded two years ago.
Girl Up executives Kiana Mokrian, Sydney Lynn and Kayah St. Germain worked to set up the pantry program, which runs on donations.
St. Germain, previous vice-president, said that the boxes have helped the community, even though the group has limited ways to get the word out.
"But I think the people that have noticed them, that know that they're there, have really benefited from them."
With files from Katerina Georgieva and Samantha Craggs