Get a Cup, Give a Cup: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Written by: Rachel Axtman
Content Warning: Discussion of Domestic Violence
When you’re looking for safety and security in a crisis, the last thing on your mind should be how you’re going to manage your period. Your next period is usually the last thing on your mind, yet demands immediate attention when it shows up, which is why period care supplies are so essential to domestic violence advocacy groups.
What we know:
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, more than 10 million people in the United States alone experience domestic violence each year, 96% of whom identify as women. That equates to about 20 people per minute who are victims of violence by a family member or intimate partner. To bring it even closer to home for Saalt, 1 in every 3 women here in Saalt’s home state of Idaho will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.
Faces of Hope, our local friends here in Boise, say that they supported 47% more victims in the first six months of 2021 than they did in those same months in 2020. This is despite a significant uptick in outreach for support during a crisis in 2020, linked in part to the added emotional and financial stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
Period care products are often left out of donations to domestic violence agencies, leaving the expense up to individuals and supportive agencies. When organizations like Faces of Hope do receive donations of period care products, they are almost exclusively disposable products, which means that agencies and individuals have to purchase them over and over. The monthly cost of period care products can add up to hundreds of dollars per year, which can be an insurmountable expense for many.
How can we help?
For victims of domestic violence, the choice to leave their home and the process of finding support is scary and arduous as it is. Imagine, in the middle of leaving your home, remembering to buy a box of tampons or having to decide between the cost of an Uber and the cost of pads for the month. That’s where you, our Saalt Community, comes in.
In support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Saalt is doing its part to support survivors of domestic violence: For every Mountain Iris Saalt Soft Cup you purchase today, October 21st 2021, one will be donated to our friends at Faces of Hope, a local Idaho organization offering wrap-around supportive services to our neighbors who have experienced intimate partner violence. This donation campaign is part of our ongoing impact efforts, which you can learn more about by clicking here.
Why Saalt Menstrual Cups?
Because sometimes period bliss means not having to think about your period at all.
Saalt menstrual cups can be worn for up to 12 hours a day and last for 10 years, leaving more time for taking care of business and focusing on safety and security. The staff at Faces of Hope was kind enough to give us a tour of their intake and services facility. While there, we learned in great detail about all of the steps that go into getting someone to safety; 24 hour intakes, exams, interviews, meetings with lawyers and case managers, emergency housing appointments and job interviews.
With all of that on people’s plates, why not take one more thing off of it by providing period care options that will last them years instead of hours?
