DELAWARE - Rep. Alonna Berry, Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay and Sen. Elizabeth "Tizzy" Lockman ended the 2026 legislative session by collecting 10,977 menstrual products for The Delaware Dignity Project during a donation drive at Legislative Hall.
The weeklong drive supported the Milton-based nonprofit, which works to expand access to menstrual products and personal hygiene supplies for people across Delaware.
The Legislative Hall drive launched the nonprofit's "Pad the First State" initiative, which seeks to collect and distribute 633,600 pads across Delaware, matching the number of pads needed to symbolically stretch from one end of the state to the other. Of the 10,977 products collected, 9,901 were pads, enough to cover approximately 1.5 miles toward the initiative's 96-mile goal.
Of the 10,977 products collected, 9,901 were pads, enough to cover approximately 1.5 miles toward the initiative's 96-mile goal. (Alonna Berry)
“Access to period products should be a basic human right, not a privilege. But that is not the reality we currently live in,” said District 20 Rep. Alonna Berry.
The Delaware Dignity Project said it distributes menstrual products to schools, shelters, nonprofits and health care systems statewide, including the Boys and Girls Club of Delaware, Brandywine Counseling and Community Services, Springboard Delaware and First State Community Action Agency.
According to the nonprofit, 1 in 6 people who menstruate in Delaware struggle to afford period products.
“Hosting a drive not only helps us collect vital supplies for women and girls across the state, but also raises awareness of the prevalence and seriousness of this issue," said Lisa Sumstine, Founder & Executive Director of The Delaware Dignity Project.
The organization noted that the products are not covered under federal assistance programs and cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits. The Delaware Dignity Project launched in late 2025 and said to have distributed 115,396 menstrual products between January and June 2026.
