Lunapads

We are always happy to contribute display samples, stickers and information as well as make donations for fundraising purposes to groups supporting women’s reproductive health and/or a cleaner planet. A recent example took place at the University of Virginia…

Dear Lunapads,
I am writing to let you know that our event, Vulvapalooza at the University of Virginia, was a huge success. We had at least 800 students pass through our sexual health fair, and we sold out for The Vagina Monologues both evenings. About a dozen student groups had booths at the event, with games ranging from a quiz about consensual sex to pin the clitoris on the vagina. Our raffle table (where we featured Lunapads and a Diva Cup in an alternative menstrual solution gift bag) was also a huge success! We screened DVDs about our beneficiary (Medica Zenica - a rehabilitation and education center for war traumatized women and children in Bosnia) and raffled off a lot of great prizes. I personally stood at the table and talked up Lunapads and the Divacup, and we ended up raising about $50 with this one raffle (see attached photo). So many women were interested in the products, but had never heard about them before, so even those who did not win came away with some new ideas about menstruation. My friend won the items, and she cannot wait to try them Overall, it was definitely a hit, thanks to your involvement. We raised over $5000 in all, from raffles and tickets sales. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your donation, and how much fun we had at the event. I am so thankful that you decided to participate in our event. Thank you!
Yours truly,
Brenna Lynch

Thank you, Brenna, for your fantastic energy and activism - we are proud to support you!

There has been a lot of discussion lately on the web about girls in Africa in the wake of Tampax and Always TV ads on the topic. While we have yet to complete our assessment of the relative good actually being done by disposable products being made available to girls in need, for our part we regularly donate Lunapads to organizations working with women and girls globally: the latest recipients happen to be in Swaziland.

In January of this year Cindy Myint, a customer in Atlanta GA, wrote to us: “I am writing on behalf of a charitable group that my mother runs for the benefit of a small village called Nkamazi in Swaziland, Africa. To give you the quick background, my mother is the Executive Director of a small AIDS non-profit in Moncton, NB. She was approached a few years ago to partner with an African group and ultimately to improve the lives of some 80 children orphaned by parents who have perished from AIDS and its complications.

This is a grassroots movement with little funding. However, they’ve made a big impact in the little time they’ve been working there. Most notably, they have 39 children enrolled in school with their fees being paid largely by individuals and groups in the Moncton and Saint John areas. They have also established a sustainable garden with land donated by the village chief and created a sewing group. They’ve raised funds for several sewing machines and received many donation from Canadians of fabric and notions which are hand carried to Swaziland by dedicated volunteers.

Over the holidays, my mother was telling me that the girls in Africa miss on average one week of school because of their menstrual cycle. They actually stay home from class and use rags for roughly a week. In an 8 month school year, this equates to 2 missed months of school for the girls. My mother had never heard of any natural/reusable alternatives until I told her about your products. I was turned on to Lunapads by an acquaintance of mine here in Atlanta who swears by them. When my cycle returned after my first pregnancy, I was pretty bummed about having to stock up on pads and tampons after being nearly 2 years free of the annoyance. That’s when my friend told me about your products and I had my husband hunt them down the last time he was in Vancouver.”

Lunapads responded immediately with a donation of 4 dozen pad and liner sets. The photo above is Cindy’s mom, Debby showing the girls how to use their new Lunapads.

Cindy writes: “I am happy to report that the Lunapads were extremely well received by the girls in Swaziland. Attached is a picture of two girls getting their pads, along with some instruction of how to use and care for them. Once word got out to the girls that they could get these pads, they started coming to where Debby and Julie were staying to get them.”

There is a lot of buzz these days about the latest documenatary “The Business of Being Born” (click the link to see the trailer). Produced by Ricki Lake, actress and former talk show host, the documentary follows Lake and several other pregnant women as they give birth, many of them at home.

From the reviews I have read, this film is an eye opening story about why birthing is in crisis in America. Filled with rich images of women birthing on their own terms, this film takes a feminist view of childbirth, telling women they have a choice and say during child birth, challenging the notion that birth is a scary medical event that needs to be managed. I am happy to see that a celebrity has embraced this subject and created a beautiful film that will be viewed by thousands of women who will see for the first time that child birth can be a wonderful experience that doesn’t need to be feared. I wish this film existed when I was pregnant with Aiden 6 years ago. I had no conception of child birth except for what I had seen on TV. Having become a natural child birth advocate since giving birth to Garret, the next time I want to suggest to my pregnant girlfriends (mainstream or crunchy) that child birth can be a rich and natural experience, I can simply point them to this movie without appearing preachy. And while the films is pro natural child birth and pro home birth, it is not ‘anti-hospital’ or ‘anti-C-section’… the director of the movie herself gets pregnant and runs into complications at the end of her pregnancy.

Reviews from our favorite magazines: “All women owe it to themselves to see this documentary.- Bust Magazine December 2007. “… It is the best birth film ever made” - Peggy O’Mara, Mothering Magazine interview with Ricki Lake.

For my own personal reflections about my two births and images of my home birth read on …

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This new campaign caught our eye for two reasons: first, the red dot/period reference, and more importantly, because it’s a great idea. Canadian readers, did you know that the junk mail that most of us receive is optional? Yes, that’s right - you can choose to make it go away (and by extension reduce how much of the stuff is printed in the first place, trees being cut down, etc). The Red Dot campaign is the brainchild of Vancouver entrepreneur Beth Ringdahl. We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her, but will have an enthusiastic Thank You for her when we do. Oh - the Red Dot site also has a link to the Canadian Marketing Association’s “do not contact” list. Sign up for that, and you’ll have less junk phone calls along with a lighter mailbox