DfG – Period Pastor Pad

Days for Girls Grove City PA

Days for Girls works to eliminate the stigma and limitations associated with menstruation so that women and girls have improved health, education and livelihoods. To date, we have reached over 3.5 million women and girls with our life-changing menstrual health solutions.

Each standard Days for Girls washable kit includes: 2 waterproof shields, 8 liners, 2 panties, 1 carry pouch, a 100% cotton wash cloth, a small bar of soap, and an ovulation chart and directions, all packaged in a drawstring bag. Those are the things you can see. What you might not notice immediately is that those kits also contain: dignity, education, and independence. These kits and their accompanying education can lift entire communities out of poverty.

To complete menstrual health kits we fundraise to purchase supplies. You can send us monetary donations through: Grove City PA Team’s team fundraising page for Days for Girls International as well as sending needed items directly to us through our Grove City DfG Amazon wish list.

The other way to help us is to follow us on social media and share our posts: Days for Girls Grove City PA Team

If you are interested in donating your time you can volunteer with us. Please use this email to inquire about volunteer opportunities: grovecitypa@daysforgirls.org

History of my involvement with Days for Girls International:

I first learned about DfG in 2014 when I began work at Third Presbyterian Church. We started the Pittsburgh team in 2015, and in 2018 became a collection point. When we became a collection point, I was given the title: USA Special Project Coordinator. The Pittsburgh Sewing team and Collection Point moved to First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh in December of 2022. While we were grateful for FUMC for the space, it was quickly clear it wouldn’t work long term for the Collection Point. In the summer of 2024, the Pittsburgh Sewing team and Collection Point divided and the Sewing team remains at FUMC. The Collection Point moved to Grove City and began sharing a building with the Grove City team (the Grove City team moved into the building in the spring). Some collection point volunteers commuted to Grove City and were joined by members of the Grove City sewing team to form a new collection point team. At the end of February 2026, we were informed that DfG would be restructuring and our collection point would be closed. In March, we packed our remaining components and shipped them to the Missouri Collection Point. Then I joined the Grove City DfG team to continuing volunteering.

I am grateful to all of our community partners who have given us free space to house the sewing teams and collection point: Third Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, and George Junior Republic.

The beginning of my time with DfG was about sewing components and building relationships with people in the community, so I was only posting on this blog periodically. Some of the early story of DfG Pittsburgh, PA is only on the Third Church facebook page, and the Pittsburgh DfG facebook page which I’m not sure is active anymore as I’m no longer connected to either. The Collection point facebook page was taken down when the collection point closed in 2026, but I’m certain that most of those pictures and stories are documented in my blog articles about the collection point.

As USA Special Projects Coordinator, I led the operations of the USA Collection Point located in Pennsylvania and coordinated with DfG USA and partner organizations. The USA Collection Points play a key role in supporting girls, women, and people with periods around the world by receiving Kit components, performing quality checks, assembling DfG Kits and ensuring that DfG Kits being distributed meet DfG’s Gold Standard quality expectations. I am committed to creating a high quality washable pad that will meet individuals menstrual needs for many years.

Being a volunteer (with less responsibility for international orders) will allow me more time to travel, to write, and to advocate for period positive workplaces (and churches).

Beginning in 2018:
Blood, Sweat, and Tears: Pittsburgh Women’s Community Corrections Center in Shadyside and the Lady in the Basement
A toast to strong women: May we know them, may we be them, may we raise them
Developed and Developing
It’s Important to Understand Why
From Menarche to Menopause: All of the love and laughter
Be A Good Neighbor
Quality control as love for neighbor

Beginning of the Lebanon project 2019 and Donations for Lebanon project then the project shifted slightly to include Lebanon, South Sudan, Afghanistan and Somalia: August 2019 update, September 2019 update, November 2019, Kit distribution news, August 2020, Lebanon Emergency Response update and 2^nd update This is when the pandemic changed how we operated: Lebanon emergency response change of plans (pivot) and Lebanon wrap up

Days for Girls Apron for my American Girl Doll This was a fun pandemic project back when we thought working from home was temporary (you can see my dining room has turned into a home office and sewing table).

Keeping community and volunteering at a distance and an update (More pandemic challenges)

The project that continued to shift with pandemic challenges (Nicaragua, Chad, Bolivia, Haiti, Afghan, Costa Rica, Philadelphia, Ecuador): 500 kits to Nicaragua with Global Links July 2020, 500 kits to Nicaragua update, Good news from Nicaragua, Chad Humanitarian Response Project, Chad and Nicaragua , Chad and Nicaragua up-date, May 2021 Chad and Nicaragua up-date, June 2021 update, PIVOT for the project – includes shipment to Bolivia, Wrapping up the Chad, Nicaragua, and Bolivia projects, and Haiti, Afghan, Costa Rica, Philadelphia, Ecuador and all of the places kits went that we thought were going to Chad – the big pivot! And then Chad up-date and Bolivia project on going

Jordan Humanitarian response project October 2021 and December 2021 update and Another update

Ukraine March 2022, update, Ukraine thank you and next steps, More thank yous, More thank you and project update and finally, Ukraine project totals

Presbyterian Outlook article – Days for Girls, an example of relational mission

What is it like to be a collection point?

Bolivia Project July 2022 and Bolivia Project update September 2022

Ecuador This was an incredible adventure and inspiring kit distribution!

2023 Cuba Project Luckily, this project was done ahead of schedule and we were able to “pause” our intake of components while I looked for a new location to house our teaming collection point. I had my last Sunday at Third Church in July of 2023 and we (DfG team and collection point) had until December of 2023 to move out.

Pittsburgh Chapter New Home – First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh became our new home in early December of 2023. I was thrilled to have so many people help us move and to have our college interns help set up the new space with our work flow in mind as well as decorate it to keep us inspired.

2024 Cuba Project and Cuba Project Update Before the Cuba project was completely finished, PA Collection Point Moving again – Grove City , and Cuba Project Complete/Thank you FUMC/Open House in Grove City.

The Collection Point moved to Grove City and started to be known as the Pennsylvania Collection Point so that we could be differentiated from the Pittsburgh Team that stayed at FUMC in Pittsburgh.

The Grove City team moved into their new space on the campus of George Junior Republic in the spring but waited for the Collection Point to move in to host Open House (September 2024) for the community.

Lebanon and Hurricane Helene Emergency Response (October 2024) and Lebanon and Hurricane Helene Emergency Response Update (November 2024)

January 2026 Collection Point Update

In February of 2026 we shipped out last Collection Point orders and then packed up the remaining components and supplies and shipped those to the Missouri Collection Point in early March. Thanks to Mike Whalen and the Mercer County Career Center students for assembling and shipping our pallets.

Collection Point Closes and Volunteers join other sewing teams I joined the DfG Grove City PA team.

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