Your donation of pads and tampons could help a woman or girl fleeing family violence manage her period with dignity.
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Share the Dignity's April campaign is asking members of the community to donate sanitary items that will be distributed to Ballarat charities to help women and girls in need.
Child and Family Services Ballarat deputy chief executive Wendy Sturgess said women and children fleeing family violence often do not have access to sanitary items.
"It is really important we are providing this essential resource of sanitary items to our clients that Share the Dignity is allowing us to provide," Ms Sturgess said.
"Women and young girls are very grateful because of the cost of these products. It is a practical solution that relieves pressure on a tight budget."
Family violence is the number one reason people present to homelessness services - 55 per cent of females cite this reason.
This is strong girl power - it is women helping women in a practical way.
- Wendy Sturgess, Share the Dignity
CAFS services in Ballarat, Daylesford, Bacchus Marsh, and Ararat inform clients that sanitary items are on offer when they present to the service.
More than 500 packets of pads and tampons were donated to the organisation from Ballarat donations last year.
"There is an added benefit apart from the cost. This is strong girl power - it is women helping women and community helping community in a very practical and women particularly can able to relate to it," Ms Sturgess said.
National charity Share the Dignity distributed more than 400,000 sanitary items across Australia in 2018, with more than 4000 distributed in Ballarat during the last two years.
It is expected the demand will rise in 2019 with the number of people experiencing homelessness and poverty on the rise.
Share the Dignity Ballarat volunteer Geraldine Jenkins said community members could make a big difference through a small contribution.
"Once I was buying pads to donate and I was explaining to the girl at the checkout what I was doing," Ms Jenkins said.
"She said 'I was one of those women who needed help once and would have loved for someone to do that for me'."
Community members can donate new and unopened packets of sanitary items - pads, tampons, menstrual cups and incontinence aids to drop off points around Ballarat from April 1 including UFS Pharmacies, Fernwood Ballarat, Food is Free Laneway, Goodstart Early Learning Alfredton, BP Ballarat and Australian Hearing Services Ballarat.
Donations are distributed to Ballarat charities including CAFS, WRISC Family Violence Support, the Salvation Army, Berry Street, the shower bus and the soup bus.
Share the Dignity holds a Dignity Drive in April and August and the It's in the Bag campaign in November each year.
Visit sharethedignity.com.au for more information.