End Period Poverty

Today on Bring Back The Porch Brian speaks with one of the organizers behind End Period Poverty, a collaboration between many local groups to raise awareness and get the products in to the hands of those who need them.

Most people are unaware that 1 in 6 Canadians who menstruate experience period poverty - and in Alberta, that number jumps to 1 in 4. Imagine the community impact if we could help 35,000 people get the supplies they need.  Our guest Kat Donaldson, reveals a powerful, innovative community-driven event aiming to do just that: the Longest Snake of Generosity, built entirely from donated period product boxes. Join us as we dive into how this heartfelt project started with a simple idea, creating the longest donation snake to raise awareness and supplies for those in need. From art students crafting the head of the snake, to local businesses and city council members contributing, discover how a small college event turned into a movement that could help thousands across the region. We explore the logistical magic behind transforming hundreds of donated boxes into a winding, inspiring exhibit across Medicine Hat College plus, the surprising community response that’s already surpassing expectations.

You’ll discover:

• The staggering realities of period poverty and why it’s a hidden barrier for work, school, and daily life.
• The step-by-step breakdown of organizing a unique community event that combines awareness, activism, and fun—complete with live music, skateboard demos, and interactive activities.
• How the event’s innovative snake design spreads a visual message of support, with each section donated by local businesses and community members.
• The tangible impact of just a few dollars. Highlighting that a small donation can dramatically change someone’s life.
• Practical tips for anyone looking to replicate this model or get involved in local charity efforts.

Failing to address period poverty means millions of women and girls risk missing out on opportunities, facing stigma, or enduring health issues. But by stepping up, like in this event, we unlock both community unity and real change, opening doors for marginalized populations and building a more inclusive future. Perfect for community organizers, students, entrepreneurs, and anyone passionate about social impact, this episode offers a blueprint for turning goodwill into action. Whether you’re in Medicine Hat or beyond, learn how a creative, collective effort can stretch further than you ever thought possible, one donated box at a time. Join us for a story of hope, community, and innovation,and find out how you can help turn a simple idea into a sweeping, life-changing movement.

Hey we need your support. Like and subscribe to Bring Back The Porch Podcast

Transcript

0:00

Hey, this is Brian again. And I'd like to ask you to do a favour. We can't do this work without people like you. So if you can, please, like, share, subscribe. Tell your friends about bring back the porch. we are trying to build the longest snake out of period product boxes. So we have a beautifully made head by the art and design students and during the event, we'll have our community partners coming in. People from the community just coming in and delivering boxes, and we're trying to make that snake stretch across the college with period products that will be donated to the root cellar, to medicine at college, to the youth center in Radcliffe, as well as the Skin association. This episode of Bring Back the Porch, brought to you by Bernie Leahy, River Street Realty. Let's get you home. Monday, April 13th. An event being held. The medicine. That college. It's called the longest snake of Generosity. The grand finale event. Here to talk about it from the Medicine Hat sport and event marketing and management program. Kat Donaldson, welcome. Good morning. It's nice to be here. It's nice to be here, to talk about a subject that a lot of people probably don't know too much about. And that is ending period poverty in Canada. I was saying that, when I was, doing some reading from some government, information last night, I went I did not know that. So I think that's the whole point of this event, is to raise awareness and also to bring in some feminine hygiene products for people here. Exactly. So the event itself will be on the 13th of the college, and we are trying to build the longest snake out of period product boxes. So we have a beautifully made head by the art and design students and during the event, we'll have our community partners coming in. People from the community just coming in and delivering boxes, and we're trying to make that snake stretch across the college with period products that will be donated to the root cellar, to medicine at college, to the youth center in Radcliffe, as well as the Skin association. And those are the four partners who are involved in, I think, helping to promote this event. Yes, exactly. It started a few years ago with our Williams at medicine at college, and we picked it up again this year. And we're just really excited to restart it and make this event such a big community event and bring the community together. Now, this has been going on, in the spring time for a couple of weeks. I think you've had some of the mayors, city council have been involved. Yes. So we have some of them that have collected boxes. We are hoping to get a few. I think we have one councilman, for sure, coming to the event to kind of look around and walk our red carpet to lay his boxes down from the, council, which will be really cool to see and meet with them. Now it's on Monday, April the 13th, three until five. What's going to be happening aside from building this snake? So we'll have the snake, and then we'll have, Natalie Roberts coming in to do some live music during the entire event. We'll have some tables with some of our partners. They'll have some information to give you with what they're doing. And we'll also have some, activities and games and a popcorn machine and just a welcoming kind of environment where people can come relax and meet some people and just be part of this event. Skateboard demonstrations. That should be fun. We're hoping so, yeah, we're hoping to get the skateboard Association to be doing the skateboard demonstrations. We just have to figure out the logistics of it for in the college parking lot. Okay. And light refreshments are available. Yes. So we're going to have some popcorn and we've gotten some water and, cookies donated from the college as well. And you can come and grab a snack and just wander around and look at the different tables and meet the partners. Meet the, there's some people who have been part of the donation process. Like, Tai Orchid will be there. They'll be there handing out some pamphlets, and you can talk with them and just get to know the businesses in the community that support the community. And it's nice to see a business in medicine that getting behind a worthy cause. Exactly. I enjoy watching and seeing how many of the community businesses do gather together for these events. Now, before we started, we were talking about the, lack of information, perhaps about period poverty in Canada. 1 in 6 Canadians who menstruate personally have experienced period poverty. That's 1 in 6. That's probably a good chance. That is someone you know. Yeah. So and in Alberta it's actually 1 in 4. So it's actually smaller amount in Alberta or a bigger amount I guess. And it also gets it increases to 1 in 4 among people who live in lower income households. So and with rising inflation, that's not going to get any better. No it's not. So this is really going to help us with, help all the partners like medicine at college and Root Cellar and the youth center. We're going to be able to offer those products to the people who aren't able to afford them. For someone who cannot afford it, that changes their life every, 4 or 5 days, every month. They miss out on things sometimes they're not able to take part in of that could be a job that they can't do, or so it does there. There is a hidden cost to this that maybe we don't see. Yeah, well, boxes can be up to like you can get. Usually a small box is around $8. So that $8 it might not seem like much, but in the big long run, when you're thinking about it, for especially lower income families, it's it's hard to put that $8 aside for that box. And so then they have to make a choice. Yeah, it's food or. Tampons. Yeah. So when all of this is said and done, do you have a goal for how many that are just as many as you can? 35,000 boxes. Our goal 35,000. How far will that go then? Do we know. I don't know, we're going to have a live counter as well. But it's going to be split up. But it's that's about 35,000 boxes, about 35,000 people that we can help individually. Okay. Is there any reference? Is this ever been done anywhere else. Is there like a target or a benchmark? I did longest snake event has not been done. Of course there's been donation drives or anything, but this is the first event that we've done in medicine Hat for the donations. Like this. Okay. Now physically, where is this snake going to be constructed? So the snake is going to start at the front of the college, and we're going to have a red carpet that people can walk in, and it's just going to be winding around the college as much as we can. So we'll go from the front entrance and then kind of go back and around the hallways, kind of pressed up and you can walk along and see it, and you'll be able to see on each section of the snake, we're going to have signs. We're saying that this section of the snake was donated by this local business and how many that they donated. Okay. And it's this is a good exercise for you and your course, for event, marketing and management. Yeah, it's it's planning the event. And it's we have our marketing group that's planning, that's doing all the marketing we are making the signs, we are working on social media posts, and we're working with the college to share our post as well. And there's another group that's working, logistics. And it's just been a very big project that we're using everything that we've learned over the last two years and putting it towards this event. So it's a way to apply your knowledge. It is you you're going to be graduating here shortly two so you're going to be stepping on into the work world. So you're going to have some some good background training. Yeah. And I think that's the great thing about the event marketing and management program is that it's not just sitting in a classroom all day and doing assignments. It's getting out there and actually doing the events, doing the hands on stuff and getting to see this all come to life. And then you get to see kind of what the workforce is going to look like when we do graduate. Yeah. So the longest snake of generosity, the grand finale event happens Monday, April 13th at the main entrance of the medicine that college three until 5 p.m.. Yeah. Who gets to clean up? We do. But you know what? It would all be worth it because it's going to be such a great event. And it's such a great way to bring the community together. Now people are watching and listening and then thinking, how can I help. Bring come to the event, bring a few boxes if you'd like. Just come and support the period poverty event. And if they can't make it physically at that time, if. You can't make it, yes. So there's many Drop-Off places and I can give you a list if you'd like to put that up. And we can get donations at the school. There's, donation, service, service banks and Thai Orchid. Just a lot of local businesses that have been doing it. So you can take boxes over there and you can bring them to the school at the fitness center. Fitness center is open till nine. So whenever you can, you can bring a box in and, donate that way. Well, we're looking forward to it to see, how many and how long this snake might be and how many people we can help in our community. I'm hoping it will be a great event. So Kat Donaldson, Medicine Hat sporting event marketing and management program. Thank you for the visit. Thank you for having me. I'm.