{"id":18469,"date":"2022-05-25T09:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T13:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=18469"},"modified":"2022-10-09T04:41:13","modified_gmt":"2022-10-09T08:41:13","slug":"how-feminine-hygiene-care-packages-are-helping-homeless-canadians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/how-feminine-hygiene-care-packages-are-helping-homeless-canadians\/","title":{"rendered":"How Feminine Hygiene Care Packages are Helping Homeless Canadians"},"content":{"rendered":"
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“The moon is the most sacred time a woman goes through, her cycle, and we need to remind these women at their lowest time they are still sacred. They are still loved.”<\/em><\/h4>\n

– Robin Raweater of Keeping Families Together (via <\/span><\/em><\/strong>Global News<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a>)<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Homelessness poses its fair share of challenges for everyone who experiences this adverse event. For women, who account for a vastly smaller portion of the homeless population, living unhoused can be incredibly isolating, not to mention frightening. Homeless females face a myriad of unique dilemmas. One of those is the lack of available feminine hygiene products.<\/span><\/p>\n

Enter Alycia Two Bears, an Indigenous woman who started a “moon time bag” project with just $375. Now, just 18 months later, she has made a significant difference in the lives and hearts of countless people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turning the Tide: How Moon Time Bags are Shining Light on the Crisis of Homeless Indigenous Women<\/h3>\n

According to the\u00a0<\/span>Northern College Indigenous Council on Education<\/span><\/a>, a woman’s menstrual cycle, alternatively referred to as her “moon time,” is a highly regarded and sacred time for many Indigenous People. It’s described as a “time for women to relax and take it easy” while becoming physically, mentally, and emotionally cleansed.<\/span><\/p>\n

In some Indigenous traditions, women do not lift a finger during their moon time of the month, meaning they do not engage in ceremonies, nor do they toil with household chores. As you might imagine, this concept makes moon time that much lonelier for Indigenous women who are suffering through homelessness, who can barely even find sanitary products, let alone a space to relax and reflect on their purpose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Statistical data published by\u00a0<\/span>Homeless Hub<\/span><\/a>\u00a0shows that Indigenous Canadians are 8x more likely to experience homelessness than non-Indigenous Canadians. In some urban spaces, Indigenous People account for as many as 90% of the overall homeless population. That number is more shocking when we consider that individuals from these ethnic backgrounds only account for 4.9% of the overall Canadian population.<\/span><\/p>\n

With an eye on the current crisis, Alycia Two Bears, a woman who strives to provide\u00a0<\/span>culturally appropriate medical care for Canadians from Indigenous backgrounds<\/span><\/a>, saw a chance to turn the tide. She immediately started putting together care packages brimming with personal hygiene products handcrafted to make Indigenous women experiencing homelessness in the Calgary region feel included, accepted, and loved.<\/span><\/p>\n

What’s in a Moon Time Bag?<\/h3>\n

Each moon time bag is a care kit complete with products that are either practical, comforting, or both for a menstruating woman. Common contents include:<\/span><\/p>\n