The executive board has some great news! Terre has been working with Pixie Cups, a menstrual cup brand that donates 1 cup for every cup sold (you can read about them here: https://www.pixiecup.com/). Terre has organized for Pixie Cup to give Friends of Family Planning 120 of their cups! We will be paying for shipping and purchasing, for the discounted price of $8, sterilizing cups for each Pixie Cup sent to us. (https://www.pixiecup.com/products/sterilizing-container/). This will allow us to provide menstruating people with a sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to disposable products.
Why are we so excited about adding the Pixie Cup to the Monthly Tide Project?:
Menstrual cups make sense financially – It’s a one-time purchase and, when properly cared for, can last for years.
They are environmentally friendly – Instead of throwing away tampons or pads and adding to the landfill, a menstruator uses an average of 240 tampons per year, menstrual cups just need to be sterilized, reused and stored.
Cups have been shown to be better for the user – some disposable products are made with bleach and other chemicals, even the organic, unbleached products (which cost more for the average person) can cause problems. Menstrual cups do not get stuck, they do not absorb the healthy fluids the body creates and they have not been found to cause toxic shock syndrome.
We are excited to receive our shipment and start rolling this product out our menstruating neighbors via the Food Pantry and the Clinic.
BUT! We still want and need everyone’s support. As we mentioned at our last meeting, it sends a strong message to the community when we are able to say that we have 100% Board Participation.
Here are some numbers:
$1000 – what we spend per month to provide the Food Pantry with 1 month of disposable menstrual products.
$1200 – Estimated amount that that each menstruating individual spends per year for disposable products (low end & not MV prices!)
$1440 – Supports 12 menstruating people for one year – or support 24 people for $2880!
$26 – Retail cost of ONE Pixie Cup
$312 – Cost of purchasing one Pixie Cup per month and supporting 12 (!!) menstruating people.
$624 – Provides 24 people with a Pixie Cup
Any amount donated to the Monthly Tide Project counts as board participation. Please decide what works for you. Thanks to a number of board members who have already sent their donations.
Please memo on your check, or write a note with your donation, that this is earmarked for the Monthly Tide Project.
You can mail your donation directly to our PO BOX 909, Vineyard Haven MA 02568.
Please feel free to use this information to solicit donations from friends, and also to educate those who might not realize the economic, environmental and physical aspects of monthly menstruation and the products that are used.
This is a great project that we have all created and I’m excited for September and beyond, when we meet again to see what new ideas we come up with to continue to support our vision: An Island where all people are empowered to access quality sexual health services in a non-judgmental, affirming, respectful environment.
