November 10, 2022

Art & design students at Medicine Hat College (MHC) have once again set out to end period poverty on Nov. 1-15 by collecting menstrual products for the Root Cellar Food and Wellness Hub.

Involvement in the period poverty campaign was initiated in 2017 by business administration instructor, Tara Williams, who collaborated with students in business administration and art & design to build and launch campaigns each year. Carrying on her tradition is Ian Richmond, instructor for the art & design program.

“This is Tara’s innovative and vital initiative which has made a massive difference in the community, area, and province,” says Richmond. “As many of our students and community members are directly impacted by period poverty, we believed it was important to continue for this year’s Wild 94.5 Food Drive.”

This year’s campaign is called #BleedingUsDry and was imagined by 3rd-year students Alyssa Fonteyne, Jorden MacPhee, Jenna Maertz and Katelyn Richard, in Richmond’s ARDE 396, Applied Art & Design I course.

"When we were was asked to work on this campaign, we immediately became very enthusiastic about the project. Ending the stigma behind periods is something that we are all so passionate about. The stigma affects individuals’ ability to receive quality healthcare, leads menstruators to feel embarrassed about a normal bodily function, and the inability to discuss and understand a period. We believe that everyone who menstruates should have access to menstrual products, the lack of menstrual products, leads individuals to miss work, school and day to day activities. We hope that with this campaign we can one day end the fear of having to choose between menstrual products and basic human needs.”

The goal of the campaign is to reach or surpass the numbers from 2021, which raised over 38,000 pounds of menstrual products.

Those who wish to participate can drop off menstrual products by Nov. 15 at Mr. Lube at 901 Kingsway Ave SE, Medicine Hat College Students Association at 299 College Drive SE, or Root Cellar Food and Wellness Hub at 440 Maple Ave SE. Monetary donations are also accepted via e-transfer to donate@mhfoodbank.ca, and individuals should specify donation for menstruation and include their name and mailing address in the notes to receive a tax receipt.

To learn more about this campaign and how you can donate contact Ian Richmond at irichmond@mhc.ab.ca or 403.529.3961. The campaign can also be found online under the hashtags: #bleedingusdry #periodpoverty #endperiodpoverty and by joining the Facebook group Teampon.