HEART OF OHIO DIAPER BANK ANNOUNCES, “HER PROJECT” TO SUPPLY AREA AGENCIES AND SCHOOLS WITH PERIOD PRODUCTS
Canton, OH - Starting this fall, the Heart of Ohio Diaper Bank will be collaborating with the Stark County Educational Service Center (SCESC) to provide period products within all Stark County Schools as well as Dalton Local Schools in Wayne County, Carrollton Exempted Village Schools and Brown Local Schools in Carroll County, Strasburg Local Schools in Tuscarawas County and Green Local Schools in Summit County.
Through a new project initiated by the Diaper Bank called HER Project which stands for Helping Educate & Reducing Period Poverty, period supply packs will be given to the SCESC and the staff center will oversee the provision of pad and tampon packs to each of the 85 ESC Family Support Specialists, Canton City School Community Workers Nurses, and Plain Local School Community Liaisons within these schools who will have them directly available to girls in need. Pad packs contain 15 pads and 5 liners and tampon packs contain 15 tampons and 5 liners.
“Our hope is to provide access to these essentials so that girls do not have to worry or be embarrassed about how they are going to get period products,” said Shannon Hexamer with Heart of Ohio Diaper Bank’s HER Project. “We want to let them focus on their education and future.”
“The Stark County ESC’s CARE Team vision is for every student to have the support to be successful,” said Carla Bidlack, Stark County ESC Family Support Specialist Supervisor. “Our purpose is to Coordinate and Align Resources to Engage, Empower, and Educate our youth.” Bidlack credited the diaper bank for the collaboration. “ We are so thankful for the Heart of Ohio Diaper Bank’s commitment to supporting our students who will benefit from period packs and for making them available through our 120 CARE Teams to ensure every student has their basic needs met so they are ready to learn.”
The Heart of Ohio Diaper Bank is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, volunteer organization that provides support to families experiencing diaper, adult incontinence, and menstruation needs. As with diapers, wipes and adult briefs, period supplies are purchased, collected, and prepared by Heart of Ohio Diaper Bank volunteers and distributed through the organization’s 25 Community Distribution Site Partners in six counties – Stark, Tuscarawas, Carroll, Wayne, Medina, and Harrison.
These partners include food pantries, family service agencies, health departments and faith-based organizations. A complete list is available below as well as on the Heart of Ohio Diaper Bank website, heartofohiodiaperbank.org. Each agency has its own set of requirements for qualifications to receive support. Anyone experiencing need should contact the agency to ensure they meet the requirements.
For anyone interested in donating diapers or menstruation products, they may do so at Once Upon A Child Canton on Dressler Road, Akron Children’s Health Center on Whipple Avenue, or Aultman Hospital Bedford and main lobbies. The Heart of Ohio Diaper Bank also distributes wipes and adult incontinence supplies.