From left, Donna Barcus, Hailyn Ayers, Mariah Butts and Aaliyah Tucker at the Fairgrounds Pavilion making Valentine’s Day bags with flowers for unsheltered women. (Courtesy/ Lisa Letney)
When Lisa Letney talked to Salem Reporter earlier this week about a drive she was hosting to collect menstrual products for women living in encampments outside, she had a goal of collecting 3,000 tampons.
Article link: Hot potato: How a Salem woman came up with an idea to keep unsheltered people warm and full
In 10 days, she’s exceeded that goal. Since Monday when the article published, Letney said she’s had 1,200 tampons show up at her door.
“I got so many fricking tampons,” she said Friday morning. “We have no room on our counter.”
Although some of the donations were from members of her Facebook group, Little Dirty Hippy Lounge, more than 1,000 were from strangers, she said.
Letney said she got more than just tampons donated, too.
Someone donated more than 500 baby wipes, others donated hundreds of pads, candles and hand warmers.
With so many donations, Letney said she’s reaching out to different women’s shelters and other groups to help hand out feminine hygiene kits.
Letney said she’s relatively new to volunteering with houseless people in Salem and received a lot of help from Caring Connections, Kindness Closet, Helping Hands Resources and Riot with Love.
She’s also contacted Sprague High School’s Leadership Team to look into having teenagers help make care packages.
“The article brought a lot of attention to this,” she said.
-Saphara Harrell
