Remember how awkward middle school was?
Imagine you are a seventh grade girl in foster care. Life is all sorts of awkward. For many local girls like this, some days are worse than awkward. For many girls in foster care or unstable family situations suddenly finding yourself in school, with your period, and WITHOUT supplies is an unfortunately regular occasion.
Planned Parenthood workers operating in local schools noted that many girls were relying on office staff for monthly supplies having little to no regular access through home. Generous office workers have been buying supplies out of their own money.
We think we can do better.
That’s where On the Spot comes in.
On the Spot is a campaign to raise funds to help purchase supplies for local schools to hand out to girls who find themselves unsupplied and ‘on the spot.’
You can donate money to the cause or drop supplies at any local drop off spot. Planned Parenthood will receive the supplies and the cash which will go to helping local girls.
On the spot is a project of Jennifer England and Mahogany Thaxton to address the scarcity of menstrual products for many young girls in low income communities in and around Pittsburgh.
All funds and products are distributed by Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania in schools that have a demonstrated need for help.
It was born out of a conversation with a PPWP staffer lamenting that many school employees were providing supplies for girls out of their own pocket when faced with the overwhelming need for such help.
They believe that all girls have a basic right to access to these products regardless of economic ability or family circumstance. Access to these supplies are taken for granted by most women and young girls and its our responsibility to make sure that every one has access.
You can donate money to the cause or drop supplies at any local drop off spot. Planned Parenthood will receive the supplies and the cash which will go to helping local girls.
If you have questions or want more information you can contact them at pghOnTheSpot@gmail.com
pghonthespot.wordpress.com 
Kudos to you for drawing our attention to this serious problem in Pittsburgh. I have advertised your event at Pittsburgh Feminists–a meetup group here in Pittsburgh and on my facebook page.
I can’t come because I teach Monday nights, but I will encourage the Pittsburgh Feminists to go. Am also donating.
Please include me in future events and mailings.
Kimberly Latta
Congrats to a well planned and well attended kick off event! I work at a local non-profit and would like to discuss becoming a drop off spot for the BOGO.
Please feel free to call or email me and well done again ladies!
I’ve sent you an email!! Thank you for your interest in helping!
It is difficult to believe that we have this problem in 2010–please let me knpw if there is something I can do to support your group or help distribute tampax or pads….what a great job you are doing.!!
[…] On the Spot* is mine. I started it with my friend Desiree. We both feel passionately about the mission and jumped into this not knowing what we were doing. I won’t lie, I’m fiercely proud of the project. In no small part because people have responded so overwhelmingly positively to it. Two years ago not to many people thought about this problem. Now, at least in Pittsburgh, people know about it. And that is a good thing because knowing is half the way to winning. […]
[…] I first had the conversation that would lead to On the Spot my daughter was in elementary school. Middle School was closing in, but my understanding of it was […]
[…] are looking for something to do this weekend, my friend Jen England (@JenEngland is promoting the On the Spot event at Howlers on Friday Nov. 11, from 6-8:30 p.m. On the Spot is a non-profit that helps girls […]