The cold and damp weather did not stop Chatham-Kent residents from helping low-income women fight menstrual poverty.
While the number of products collected did not shape up to last year, organizers say they're still surprised by the community's generosity.
"We haven't collected as much as we did last year, but as you can see, we aren't doing too bad," said Individual Donor and Major Gift Associate with the United Way of Chatham-Kent Margery Muharrem. "We have had some very generous donors."
Around 2,000 items were collected this year.
Last year’s Tampon Tuesday saw more than 2,500 items donated for distribution to 21 community programs and agencies.
"People that are on fixed incomes, this is an expensive and necessary product," said Muharrem. "You don't have a choice of having a menstrual cycle, it's just part of your DNA."
The products will be donated to 22 different programs and agencies across Chatham-Kent.
Tampon Tuesday was first started in nearby London in 2009 and has since grown to communities across Canada. Over 400,000 boxes have been collected across Canada since the initiative began, according to the United Way.
After a busy day on Tuesday, the team has another busy day ahead of themselves on Wednesday when they begin sorting out the products and preparing them for delivery.
"This goes out to all community members, anyone that is in need, we try to support as many as we can," said Muharrem.
