The Aerie Real Foundation™ will award its first $50K Signature Grant to PERIOD. this March in honor of International Women’s Day, and in support of this year’s mission for us all to #EmbraceEquity.
PERIOD. is dedicated to menstrual equity advocacy & ending period poverty. (Aerie is donating 1k Aerie Real. Period.® Undies to Period. chapters across the country, too!)
Read below to learn more about PERIOD., how the Aerie Real Foundation is supporting PERIOD., AEO’s work to eliminate period poverty, and how you can join our upcoming Real Talk with PERIOD.!
ABOUT PERIOD.
Founded in 2014 by two high school students in Portland, OR, PERIOD. is a global youth-powered non-profit that is working to eradicate period poverty and stigma through advocacy, education, and service.
PERIOD. distributes free menstrual products to those who need them by donating products in bulk to over 350 organizations that directly serve people who menstruate. Currently, there are also over 400 PERIOD. chapters in the world that operate locally to eliminate period poverty in their communities.
Via these chapters, PERIOD. trains youth advocates to end period poverty in their own communities through period product drives and stigma-busting menstrual health curriculum. PERIOD.’s youth advocacy program also equips volunteers to advocate for policy change and implementation to advance menstrual equity at local, state, and federal levels.
HOW THE AERIE REAL FOUNDATION SUPPORTS PERIOD.
PERIOD. will use their $50K Aerie Real Foundation Signature Grant to fund their youth advocacy programs, which consist of education and advocacy trainings for an estimated 10K students across 400+ chapters.
In addition to a $50K Signature Grant, the Aerie Real Foundation has pledged to donate 1K Aerie period undies to select PERIOD. chapters across the country. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, PERIOD. has seen an increase in requests for reusable products such as period underwear. The Aerie Real Foundation’s donation will lower the immediate cost of sourcing reusable menstrual products, as well as support both Aerie & PERIOD.’s commitments to sustainability. Based on research, PERIOD. estimates that one reusable period product, such as period underwear, can last for up to 36 cycles.
MORE MENSTRUAL EQUITY INITIATIVES AT AEO
AEO is set to become a PERIOD. Workplace Champion! This program is designed to eliminate period poverty in the workplace and support menstrual equity. As a workplace champion, AEO pledges to provide menstrual products in all restrooms (including the AEO home office, distribution centers, and stores) and make educational materials available to all employees.
Plus, Aerie’s first REAL Talk of 2023 will feature Regan Moss, PERIOD. Youth Advisory Council and Board Member, among other panelists to discuss body literacy.
Happy International Women’s Day, Aerie fam! Visit PERIOD.’s site to learn more about menstrual equity, how to get involved in the fight against period poverty in your community and how your employer can become a Workplace Champion!