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March Volunteer of the Month: Lauren Johnson

Lauren Johnson is 20 years old and a current sophomore at the University of Iowa. She is currently a Health Studies major with a minor in Italian. In the future, she hopes to be in the medical field and become a Pediatrician.

How and why did you get involved in Love For Red?

This is a funny story actually, but my roommate is Maanya Pandey who is the President/founder of Love For Red. And when we first met each other and got to know each other as roommates Freshman year she told me she started a non-profit and all about what Love For Red was and I absolutely loved it and supported it and I knew right then and there I had to be a part of it.

What are your hopes for the future working with Love For Red?

So I currently have the role as one of the digital media creators for our Instagram and Facebook accounts, so I hope for the future I can just continue to have fun making posts and spreading our message and awareness to the public and help gain followers/supporters!

What impact have you seen Love For Red make?

I have seen immense amounts of impact from Love For Red. A big part of why I wanted to be a part of Love For Red was because of the help we would give to people who need it. No one should have to suffer and struggle to have access to basic human needs like period products. And Love For Red has done just that. Big or small, we have been able to donate products to a variety of places like schools, shelters, medical businesses, etc. And the impact hasn’t just stopped with that. We have had an impact towards the public’s knowledge and awareness regarding the issue we have been trying to fix as well!

What has been your favorite part about being in Love For Red?

I think one of my favorite parts about being in Love For Red is the people I have been able to meet along the way. This organization has such nice and awesome people and I have been able to meet some of my good friends in this organization! I have also met some amazing people when we hold events to spread awareness or when we have gone to the Capitol to talk to legislators! And then of course my other favorite part is just being able to help people and make a difference in our society.

Finally, I just want to say YOU MATTER. PERIOD. ❤️

February Volunteer of the Month: Madeline Riske

Madeline Riske is a second-year University of Iowa student studying English & creative writing on the publishing track, with a minor in gender, women’s, and sexuality studies. Aside from working on the Love For Red writing team, she is also involved in several undergraduate literary magazines on campus. She founded Catharsis Lit Mag and is also involved in earthwords, an undergraduate literary journal. She is super involved in the English program and works as an Honors Writing Fellow. She plans to study abroad in Dublin this summer in the Irish Writing Program. When she is not reading, she can usually be found playing guitar or trying out local coffee shops.

How and why did you get involved in Love For Red?

It’s very serendipitous, actually, because I met Maanya during my first week ever on campus at Iowa. We met at Bingo Night! As I got to know her, I learned about Love For Red, and I thought the organization sounded so amazing. I was really involved in activism in high school—I helped found this club called “The Empowerment Club” with my friends to empower students to get involved in our community—and I was searching for a way to continue my activism journey in college. So, finding Love For Red was the perfect fit for me! I loved that this was a nonprofit started by young people. I know firsthand how adults have a tendency to underestimate the power of young people, especially young women, and their desire to address inequality, so I was inspired by the way that Love For Red was embracing the power and determination of people of all ages banding together to end period poverty. Love For Red’s mission is so important to me because I value my education more than anything. I want to make sure that every student has access to the basic necessity of period products so that they may pursue their education with the dignity and safety that they deserve.

As a member of the Writing Team on Love For Red, I help write our Newsletters (you should totally sign up if you haven’t already!). So, when you get those monthly emails in your inbox, it is usually me who sends them out! I love being on the Writing team because I think that writing has the unmatched potential to educate and inspire, so I am really happy to combine my two passions for writing and activism in this role.

What are your hopes for the future working with Love For Red?

My hope is that I can continue volunteering, advocating, and learning as a member of Love For Red. Love For Red has taught me that, if you truly work towards your goals, you can change people’s lives. I hope to continue embracing the small moments of talking to someone about period poverty stats a tabling event, making a period pack, or talking with a senator during Day on the Hill, because the small moments are actually what have the power to make a positive difference in the community and beyond.

What impact have you seen Love For Red make?

We just had our 2024 Day on the Hill event, and that made me reflect on how, almost a year ago, we were introducing ourselves to representatives and asking them to raise a bill that aligned with our advocacy goals. Now, Bill (HF2356) is being assigned to the Appropriation Committee, meaning it is funnel proof and will stay alive until the end of the legislative session. The bill supports making menstrual products monetarily and physically more accessible in schools by providing free access to feminine hygiene products in public school restrooms. This was such an accomplishment and it is so wonderful to know that our voices are being heard.

What has been your favorite part about being in Love For Red?

The people. The lit mag that I founded recently released its first issue, and when I posted about that exciting accomplishment, I swear half of my comments/reposts/and likes were Love For Red members! They are just that nice. Everyone is so supportive, kind, and driven, and I find myself being inspired just by working with them.

January Volunteer of the Month: Amulya Kodavatiganti

Amulya Kodavatiganti is a Freshman at Timberline School in Waukee and a Lead Ambassador at Love For Red. In the future, she hopes to become a software engineer. She loves to play badminton with her family and spend time with them during the weekends. 

How and why did you get involved in Love For Red? 

⁠I originally got involved with Love For Red when I attended an event, and volunteered for the first time with my sister. I was very interested in what they had to say and how much of an impact they’ve made in schools, so I thought it would be exciting and worth it if I joined!

What are your hopes for the future working with Love For Red? 

In the organization, I hope to become more than just a Lead Ambassador but also someone who can set up events and help make more awareness about period poverty.

What impact have you seen Love For Red make? 

⁠I have seen many significant successes and impacts that Love For Red has accomplished, especially allowing period products in bathrooms in many schools, including mine. Love For Red with no doubt will continue to grow and make even better impacts.

What has been your favorite part about being in Love For Red? 

⁠My favorite thing about being a part of the Love For Red is the people I get to work with during meetings, events, and more. It’s exciting meeting people who are also interested in learning more about Love For Red, which makes it even better.

December Volunteer of the Month: Aditi Pandey

Get To Know Aditi Pandey, an 8th Grade Ambassador Lead at Love For Red and the December Volunteer of the Month 

Aditi Pandey is an 8th grader at Johnston Middle School and an ambassador lead for Love for Red.  She enjoys reading, gardening, watching Netflix, and hanging out with her friends. At school, she plays volleyball, participates in mock trial, and plays the flute in band.

Why did you join Love For Red? 

I joined Love for Red last year when I met them at the CelebrAsian Festival.  I joined because after I met them, I realized period poverty is such an overlooked and over-stigmatized issue that most people aren’t aware of. And I should try my best to help Love for Red address and fight this problem. I attended a few back-to-school events this year where we donated products and spread awareness on period poverty and I participated in a presentation for the Des Moines School Board.

What do you hope Love For Red will accomplish in the future? 

In the future, I hope we will be able to expand and support more schools and organizations. I also hope we will continue to spread awareness and advocate for menstrual equity.

What impact have you seen Love For Red make?

Love For Red is making such a big impact and helping so many lives out there! Whenever I volunteered at the back to school events and we were donating products people looked so happy. They were saying how wonderful it is that we are doing this, and it made me so happy.  Students often say that they’re really thankful and glad we are doing this, and now they don’t have to stress about it! I think we are doing something really important and addressing something that most people overlook.

What is your favorite part about being in Love For Red? 

My favorite part of being part of Love for Red is volunteering at different events. It’s always fun volunteering, because I get to hang out with everyone and meet new people! The practices before a presentation are also really fun. It also makes me happy knowing that I am helping make a difference.

November Volunteer of the Month: Varsha Nallabirudu

An interview with Varsha Nallabirudu, Iowa City Operations Lead of Love For Red

December 1, 2023 // By Emma Gaughan

Varsha Nallabirudu is a third-year University of Iowa student, and the Iowa City Lead of Love For Red. She joined Love For Red as a second-year after following the organization on Instagram. 

“I didn’t realize how big of a problem it was. I guess it was just surprising,” Varsha said. 

Varsha attended various events hosted by Love For Red, such as period packing events. After volunteering for a while, she decided that she wanted to get more involved in the organization, especially as operations expanded to Iowa City. 

“Especially in Iowa City, I feel like it’s such a great place— there’s so many different types of student organizations that help. It’s very common to see social justice or volunteering, there’s so many cool opportunities for that,” Varsha said. “It just kind of happened in an organic way.” 

Varsha also likes the environment of Love For Red. Weekly meetings are a comfortable and welcoming space, and she shared that it’s a safe space for everyone to just exist. 

As the organization grew in Iowa City and Varsha became more involved, she realized how much she liked helping out. She was able to really feel how much of a difference that she was making. 

“I really liked that feeling, and then I started learning more about period poverty and how it affects people here,” Varsha said. “Going to the events, people would tell stories of people they know struggling. The more you hear that, then you realize, ‘Oh, wow, we’re making a big impact. People are actually struggling with this.’” 

Hearing people’s stories and being able to see the impact Love For Red has had on people inspired Varsha to continue to work in the organization. The conversation became focused on spreading the influence of Love For Red, and continuing to grow the organization. The organization operates in multiple cities, but mainly operates in Des Moines. 

Varsha feels that Love For Red is particularly special because of how inclusive it is. Love For Red is for everyone, and they make sure to let people know that. 

“It’s not just women and girls, those aren’t the only people who are affected by this,” Varsha said. 

Varsha added that while serving women’s shelters is very important, Love For Red serves lower and higher income areas, because period poverty is a struggle that many people have, regardless of where they are in life. 

“You really don’t know what’s going on in people’s lives— you shouldn’t assume or judge,” Varsha said. “I think that was very much like aligning with my values.”  

While Varsha has not been able to help out in Des Moines operations as much, since they focus on donating to schools and she spends most of her time in Iowa City, she shared that helping out at events and booths has been gratifying. 

“We had two booths recently where we were actually giving out products to people who would need it. It was really cool. It was nice to give them what they needed,” Varsha said. “They’re like, ‘Oh, can I take multiple of these?’ and I was like, ‘Take as many as you want!’ It felt really good to be able to give them something that they really needed, and take that worry off their plate.” 

Varsha is hoping that Love For Red can continue to spread awareness, as well as expand the Iowa City operations moving forward. She is looking forward to connecting with more schools in the area, as well as spreading awareness around campus. 

The Arrowhead Feature

Waukee High School Monthly Magazine

January 2021

Why Should You Care About Period Poverty?

Maanya Pandey // November 11, 2020

Period poverty is defined as the “inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and educations, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management” (Alvarez).

These conditions are indeed extremely prevalent among developing countries with 25 percent of women in Nigeria lacking adequate menstrual hygiene management and only 54 percent of schools in India having a separate and usable girls’ restroom (Period Poverty and Poor Menstrual Hygiene), but most people would be surprised to know that period poverty is a common occurrence even developed countries like the United States of America.

“Two-thirds of low-income women in a large city couldn’t afford period products last year”

In America, two-thirds of low-income women in a large city couldn’t afford period products last year (Carroll). With that, many of the women surveyed stated that they regularly had to make the tough decision to purchase food or menstrual products. Food to survive and period products for menstruation are both necessities for basic bodily functions, yet many people unable to afford them are forced every day to choose. It makes you wonder how even in one of the most economically and socially developed countries in the world, people are still facing these types of issues. 

“One in four people aged 13 to 35 have found it harder to manage their period because of the pandemic”

The coronavirus pandemic has made the issue of period poverty worse. Since the beginning of the pandemic, about 47% of menstruators have stated that they have had a harder time accessing menstrual supplies as a result of COVID-19. Additionally, one in four people aged 13 to 35 have found it harder to manage their period because of the pandemic (Napierkowski). This pandemic has greatly affected and increased this issue that many face throughout the world. 

A lot of times because of decreased access to these necessary products, people use dangerous, dignity-stripping alternative methods to get by during their period cycles. Some people have resorted to using socks, old rags, and even cardboard during their period because they are unable to afford pads or tampons. These methods are not only unreliable, but they are also unsafe. Using unclean products can lead to some negative health effects like dangerous diseases and infections. Period poverty has also been shown to take tolls on people’s mental health as well. The lack of access to menstrual products has been discovered to cause elevations of anxiety, depression, and distress scores (Kilpatrick). All of these negative effects and situations are the reason Love For Red wants to help.

“Some people have resorted to using socks, old rags, and even cardboard during their period”

Love For Red strives to uplift the people being crushed by the hardships of period poverty. We want to bring awareness to this widespread yet unknown issue that up to 64% of people with periods face (Carroll). By providing menstrual products to those unable to purchase these necessities, we are ensuring that more people can live with dignity while on their period, no matter where they live. 

To be able to donate these products to everyone who needs them, we need your help. A $20 donation can aid us in supplying one person with enough menstrual products to last them up to six cycles! By donating to Love For Red, you are actively aiding against the battle of period poverty by providing more people with the products they need to stay dignified and safe. 

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Works Cited

Alvarez, Alexandra. “AMWA.” American Medical Women’s Association, 5 Nov. 2019, www.amwa-doc.org/period-poverty/.

Carroll, Linda. “Even in the U.S., Poor Women Often Can’t Afford Tampons, Pads.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 10 Jan. 2019, www.reuters.com/article/us-health-menstruation-usa/even-in-the-u-s-poor-women-often-cant-afford-tampons-pads-idUSKCN1P42TX.

Kilpatrick, Ashley Rapp and Sidonie. “Changing the Cycle: Period Poverty as a Public Health Crisis.” U, University of Michigan School of Public Health, 4 Feb. 2020, sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/period-poverty.html.

Napierkowski, Alicia. “Tampons Are Harder to Get For Many During the Pandemic.” Teen Vogue, 7 Oct. 2020, www.teenvogue.com/story/period-poverty-getting-worse-during-the-pandemic.

“Period Poverty and Poor Menstrual Hygiene.” Figo, 19 Feb. 2019, www.figo.org/news/month-after-month-period-poverty.