LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It’s Period Poverty Awareness Week and the nonprofit “For Lady’s Sake” has partnered with a few local women-owned businesses to collect period products.

Candice Crawford founded For Lady’s Sake in 2016 after an interaction with a woman experiencing homelessness who asked Crawford for menstrual products.

“I had never been approached by someone on the street who asked for feminine products,” Crawford said. “I’ve been asked for money, I’ve been asked for lots of things, but never period products, so that was a huge eye opener for me.”

Two in five people have struggled to buy period products, according to a 2021 study. Black and Latino people with periods are disproportionately impacted by this.

Her wife, Reina Kempt, jumped on board after they met and Kempt gave Crawford a special wedding gift when they got married last year.

“I gifted her an LLC where we would go and actually incorporate this nonprofit, get a 501c3 status which we have now,” Kempt said.

They’ve been able to expand their services and mission since.

“For Period Poverty Awareness Week, we launched partnerships with four women-owned businesses across the community to serve as product donations sites and that has been a huge benefit for the individuals in our community,” Crawford said.

After Spectrum News 1 spoke with the couple, another business partnered with For Lady’s Sake to have people drop off period products at their location.

Women-owned, Louisville-based businesses SnoWhat, The Neon Flea, 721 Mint IT Herb & Juice Bar, and Woman-Owned Wallet all partnered with For Lady’s Sake for its Period Equity Expansion Program. Hazel Jane Boutique in New Albany, Indiana is also collecting menstrual products for the program.

For more information on how to donate to For Lady’s Sake, you can visit their website.