Help A Girl Out

During this fiscal period Help A Girl Out (HAGO) continued its mission of advancing menstrual equity and supporting the health and dignity of girls and women. Our charitable programs focuse on education direct aid and systemic change in Canada. Our efforts were carried out through a combination of staff volunteers qualified donees. One of our core ongoing initiatives is the distribution of free reusable and disposable menstrual hygiene products to individuals facing financial hardship. These products were delivered through a growing network of schools shelters community centres and food banks across Ontario and beyond. By ensuring access to these essential items HAGO helped alleviate period poverty and promote health dignity and school attendance among underserved populations. Another core program is our Reusables Project initiative which teaches participants—primarily women and girls—how to sew reusable cloth menstrual pads. This program not only helps reduce the environmental impact of disposable products but also promotes economic empowerment and skill-building. Participants gain valuable vocational skills that can lead to income-generating opportunities while also addressing period poverty in their own communities. In some cases the pads produced through this initiative are distributed through our product donation program creating a full-circle model of empowerment and impact. We launched a National Menstrual Equity Pilot Project funded by WAGE CAnada. The pilot project is a Canada-wide initiative that provided menstrual education and product access in multiple provinces. The pilot included extensive data collection and partnership-building allowing us to measure impact and identify gaps in the education curriculum and the need for mensytrual product availbility in remote areas.