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Mayor proclaims Period Poverty Awareness Week; Care Collective urges donations and storytelling event
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Summary
The commission proclaimed May 12–18, 2025 Period Poverty Awareness Week. Sarah Kessler of Care Collective of Southwest Michigan asked residents to attend a storytelling event, donate (with a matching donor offer), and talk openly about menstruation to reduce stigma.
Mayor David F. Anderson presented a proclamation designating May 12–18, 2025 as Period Poverty Awareness Week in Kalamazoo, citing national studies on access to menstrual supplies and local distribution efforts.
Sarah Kessler, representing Care Collective of Southwest Michigan, described the group’s work distributing free menstrual products and urged three concrete actions: attend a storytelling event on Wednesday (doors at 5 p.m., stories at 5:30 p.m.), donate during Period Poverty Awareness Week to take advantage of an anonymous matching donor, and continue to discuss menstruation publicly to reduce stigma.
Kessler said the storytelling event will feature local community members and that donations will be matched for the week, creating an amplified fundraising opportunity. The proclamation and Kessler’s remarks emphasized that lack of menstrual supplies—often called period poverty—can force people to miss school or work and is a public‑health and equity issue.
Ending: The mayor and commission encouraged residents to support local product drives and the Care Collective’s events; staff and community partners will share details on the city website and Care Collective channels.
