In a desperate bid to stop young women stealing or using makeshift sanitary items, two Blenheim friends are providing 'Pink Packets' to combat what they call period poverty.
Counselor Zarna Blossom says through her work she knows young women who have used socks, toilet paper and tissues as sanitary linings and women who have stolen tampons because they simply can't afford the products.
A lot of young girls have skipped school, some for the whole week of their period, because they are too ashamed or scared.
"I can't believe it's actually happening," Ms Blossom says. "Marlborough is beautiful - wine country, a lot of tourists come here, you pinch yourself that you live here - then this is happening, it doesn't match up."
Ms Blossom and her friend Milinda Higgins - dubbed the #SanitarySoldiers - started Pink Packets to help combat this issue - which she says is nationwide.
"People have contacted us asking how can we do this in our town?"
The packets, which have been being distributed for the last couple of months, are in trays and baskets in various agencies and businesses in the community, including hairdressers, cafes and pharmacies. Each packet comes with a few days worth of sanitary items but the most economical idea is to be able to get woman to use menstrual cups, Ms Blossom says.
"For $45 you can have it [a menstrual cup] for 10 years."
Even older woman have got in touch asking if they can donate their unused sanitary items to help the cause.
A Give a Little page has been set up to raise money where all profits go back into making the packets.
Newshub.
