Help a Girl Out 2025 Kick-off Event

From Help a Girl Out

When Suzanne Cody first volunteered at the Children’s Home of Reading several years ago, she overheard whispers about their dwindling supply of period products. That moment revealed a pressing yet often-overlooked public health crisis: period poverty.

Period poverty, defined as inadequate access to menstrual hygiene products and education, disproportionately affects lower-income families. According to the Alliance for Period Supplies, 1 in 7 women and girls aged 12 to 44 in Pennsylvania lives below the Federal Poverty Line. This lack of access forces some women to miss work and causes 1 in 4 teens in the U.S. to miss school. In desperation, many resort to using unsuitable substitutes like toilet paper, cardboard, or socks — putting their health at serious risk.

Now in its fourth year, the Help a Girl Out campaign collects diapers, pads, tampons, period underwear, and wipes — essentials that span a lifetime of needs. Last year’s drive collected 47,314 items, which were distributed among four local organizations: Opportunity House, Children’s Home of Reading, Safe Berks, and the LGBT Center of Greater Reading. This year, organizers hope to exceed that number to address the growing need for menstrual products in Berks and Schuylkill counties.

This year, the Help a Girl Out drive is expanding its impact through the efforts of a growing team of partners. In addition to MG Architects and Be Mine Boutique, new collaborators are stepping in to amplify the mission. JPrutzman Enterprises LLC is providing marketing and public relations support to raise awareness; Helping Harvest is offering space for product drop-off, sorting, and distribution; and Co-County Wellness Services and Berks Teen are leveraging their community connections to ensure the donations reach those who need them most. This year, Help a Girl Out has also gained the support of Emily Fitzpatrick Kenniston, Mrs. East Coast, model, author, speaker, and founder of Let’s Talk about Tokophobia. Mrs. Kenniston will be in attendance at the Kick-off Event.

“When this first started it was just a conversation in a coffee shop. This is now moving from a grassroots effort to a real movement, and I am humbled and proud to have been a conduit for this important issue. By collaborating with partners that cover two counties, we now have greater equitable distribution and a further reach. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with these nonprofit experts,” said Suzanne Cody, Help a Girl Out Co-Founder.

Get involved on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 5:30 p.m. Attend the Kick-off Event at Be Mine Boutique in West Reading. Enjoy wine and cookies, meet community partners, and pick up a donation bin to collect products throughout February. Donations should be dropped off at Helping Harvest, 117 Morgan Dr., Reading, on Friday, March 7.

To learn more about the drive, register for the Kick-off Event, or find other ways to support, visit https://www.mg-architects.com/events/hago-berks-2025.