San Diego County is in the spotlight after its progressive Free4Me program, which distributes free menstrual products in county facilities, clinched the 2023 California State Association of Counties Challenge Award. Recognized for its innovative approach to combating "period poverty", the initiative stands out in a state-wide effort to address the needs of those struggling to afford basic sanitary products.
Period poverty, a term that describes the heartbreaking choice some individuals must make between buying food or menstrual products, is a problem facing a daunting number of low-income Americans. In fact, nearly two-thirds report struggling to afford these essential items within the last year. This predicament often hits the hardest among the homeless, transgender community, youths, and low-income individuals, according to the County News Center.
The Free4Me program began as a pilot on May 28, 2021, providing immediate relief through 58 tampon and pad dispensers installed in 24 county-owned buildings. Designed to be user-friendly, the locations of these lifesaving dispensers were advertised on a website and through collaborations with local activists, they focused on tackling period poverty. User experience hailed the program, with individuals aged 18 to 63 expressing that over half had been worried about the cost of menstrual products within the previous year, the County News Center reported.
Spearheaded by the County's Health and Human Services' Office of Strategy and Innovation, Free4Me’s initial success warranted a $70,000 budget, offering upward of 277,500 menstrual products in the first two years of operation. Expansions are now in the pipeline, with plans to fit over 1,000 dispensers in both female and gender-neutral restrooms, as well as in one male restroom per facility across more than 300 county-owned and leased facilities by May 2024.
San Diego County's venture has not only earned acclaim but also sparked governmental emulation, proving that good deeds can indeed reverberate. Following consultation with the County, the City of San Diego adopted the Free4ME model in October, a nod to the program's efficacy and replicability provided by county officials, says the County News Center.
