After a brief hiatus, in-person Tampon Tuesday events will return to the Sarnia area to support local women in need.
Beginning on March 7, social events will be held on the first Tuesday of every month from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Stoke's Inland Grill & Bar.
Organizer Michelle Parks said free appetizers will be available and there will be a cash bar. Admission is one box of tampons or pads.
"We just thought with International Women's Day being in March, it was the perfect time to kick off in-person events again," she said.
Prior to the pandemic, Parks said Tampon Tuesday would bring in 150 to 500 boxes of menstrual products per event.
During the pandemic and recent renovations at Stoke's, donations were collected but it wasn't to the same degree.
Parks said Tampon Tuesday was created because there was a clear need for feminine hygiene products.
"What we had found was that menstrual hygiene products were one of the most requested yet least donated items received by food banks so we thought with Tampon Tuesday not being in the Sarnia-Lambton area, it would be a great initiative for us to start," she said. "Since the inception in 2019, we've collected close to 10,000 boxes of menstrual products."
Parks said items are primarily donated to the Inn of the Good Shepherd but other agencies that request products are also supported, including The Women's Interval Home of Sarnia-Lambton, The Hub, and Sarnia-Lambton Rebound.
Tampon Tuesdays will continue throughout the year and are open to everyone.
