Period Promise 2026 Count

Last Updated: March 16, 2026

About Period Promise

Menstruation products are a basic necessity. But if you’re living in poverty – or vulnerable in other ways – access to tampons, pads, cups, or period underwear can be challenging. 

With the cost of living on the rise, the priority of food, housing or bills overtakes that of menstrual products. In fact, menstrual hygiene products are one of the most requested, yet least donated items at food banks. Understandably, low-income individuals find it difficult to budget for this monthly expense. Many simply cannot afford them.

Inaccessible menstrual products translate to isolation, mental stress, sick days, and missed opportunities.

United Way makes period products accessible so community members don’t have to face the pressures that come with a lack of safe products. Period product and financial donations are collected and items are provided to community partners, food banks, and local agencies across Peterborough City and County.

The tenth annual Period Promise campaign (formerly Tampon Tuesday) is just getting started, and will wrap up in mid-March 2026.

Please drop off product at our office (277 Stewart Street) between now and March 13, 2026.
Monday to Friday, 9:00AM – 5:00PM

 

Other Drop Off Locations:

KWIC’s International Women’s Day 2026 Rally & Community Event
Saturday March 7
with drop off outside City Hall at 11:30AM before the march,
or at the Peterborough Public Library from 12:30PM – 3:30PM

The Tiffany Show’s International Women’s Day Party
Sunday March 8
at The Venue

(doors open at 10AM for the 11AM-2PM event).

The Red Tent
Saturday March 14
from 8AM-1PM
at the Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market
(Lower Level of Peterborough Square, 340 George Street North)
with thanks to Heather Litster of Moon & Bloom.

City Hall
Until March 13
500 George St. N.
Monday to Friday, 8:30AM – 4:30PM

Miskin Law Community Complex
Until March 13
271 Lansdowne St. W.
Monday to Sunday, 6:00AM – 11:00PM  

Peterborough Public Library
Until March 13
345 Aylmer St. North
Monday to Friday, 10:00AM – 7:00PM, and Saturday & Sunday, 10:00AM – 5:00PM


FREE Period Promise Workshop
Monday March 16 at 10:00AM
United Way Peterborough & District Office, 277 Stewart Street

RSVP Required

Heather Litster (@heatherlitster__) founder of Moon and Bloom, and host of the Community Red Tent will teach Body Literacy Basics during our Period Promise workshop. She will dive into the menstrual health foundations that many folks were not taught in school. This informal workshop welcomes all ages and genders and will cover the anatomy of the uterus, how different period products work, what hormones are at play during menstruation and menopause and how those hormones impact mental & physical health. You can expect to leave this juicy workshop with actionable tools for cyclical compassion and a better understanding of the menstruating body’s functions.

Meagan Vaughan is the Women & HIV/AIDS Initiative (WHAI) Coordinator at Peterborough AIDS Resource Network (PARN). Meagan works with cis and trans women, and gender diverse community members who are living with HIV/AIDS and those who are at risk of acquiring HIV to build community capacity of addressing stigma, discrimination and accessibility of services with local service providers and the community at large. Through her work with women experiencing unique vulnerabilities relating to homelessness, substance use, newcomer status in Canada, and Indigenous identity, Meagan will discuss issues surrounding period poverty and inadequate access to personal wellness and hygiene necessities and ways that we as a community can work together to combat this.


If you’d like to get more involved with our 2026 Period Promise campaign, please do not hesitate to reach out! We’d be happy to help you setup a collection at your workplace, share educational resources, or chat about any other ideas you may have.

Join us and tell every person their basic needs matter, PERIOD.

Special thanks to Peterborough & District Labour Council, Kawartha Food Share, and kawarthaNOW for their support of this year’s Period Promise campaign.

For more information, please contact:

Elisha Rubacha – Community Impact Officer
Desk: 705-742-8839 x 33
Email: erubacha@uwpeterborough.ca

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We 💙 GM Financial!

A huge thank you to our friends at GM Financial for dropping off our first Backpacks for Success donations of the season! We’re so grateful for partnerships like these in our community. 

💡 As part of their workplace drive, employees received a work from home day in exchange for making a donation. What a creative way to encourage workplace giving!

Our Backpacks for Success supply drives wrap up on August 14, but there is still time to help! Join us on August 8 at Auto Connect Sales for our Fill the Fords event. We’ll be there from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. collecting school supplies, so stop by, say hello, and help us fill the Fords! 👋🎒
We’re growing, evolving, and looking for an experienced Director, Finance & Administration to join our Senior Leadership Team.

This is an opportunity to help shape the future of United Way Peterborough & District by providing strategic leadership across finance, administration, governance, and organizational operations, ensuring we remain a strong and sustainable partner for our community.

📍 Peterborough, ON
💼 Full-time
💰 Starting salary: $83,106; salary range up to $93,536
📅 Apply by August 14, 2026

Interested or know someone who’d be a great fit? Visit our website [link in bio] to learn more and apply, and please help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity within your networks.
❤️Won’t you be our neighbour? 

Stay tuned, @_thetiffanyshow will be sharing the full story (and her inspiring Campaign Chair speech) soon. You won’t want to miss this!

#CertifiedNeighbour #UnitedWayPTBO
Don't miss out 👉 United Way Peterborough is now accepting applications for the Reaching Home program!

ℹ️ What is Reaching Home?
Reaching Home is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada by providing funding to communities to address local housing and homelessness needs.

Important details:
⭐ Applications will be reviewed based on alignment to community priorities, including:
• Creating, preserving, and enabling equitable access to housing
• Eviction prevention
• Outreach

⭐ The funding period is October 1, 2026, to March 31, 2028

📅 Applications close August 4, 2026.

Apply today at uwpeterborough.ca
Meaningful conversations are the first step toward meaningful change. This morning, our CEO, Jason Seguya, had the opportunity to meet with MP Harrison (@emmaaharrisonmp) to discuss some of the most pressing challenges facing our communities.

Part of the conversation focused on the recently published Financial Anxiety Index, a national research project undertaken by United Way Centraide Canada and conducted by Léger. The findings are clear: nearly half of Canadians say they could cover their basic expenses for only one month or less if their income were interrupted, and many report that their financial situation has worsened in recent months. The research also highlights that single parents, newcomers, and young people are among those experiencing the greatest financial strain.

Jason also had the opportunity to elaborate on United Way Peterborough & District’s role as the Community Entity for the Government of Canada’s Reaching Home program. For more than a decade, we have worked with local partners to administer federal homelessness funding, convene organizations across the sector, and support innovative, collaborative responses that help prevent and reduce homelessness in our community. Since 2020, more than $8 million in Reaching Home funding has been distributed locally to strengthen supports and services for those experiencing homelessness.

We appreciate the opportunity to share these insights and discuss the importance of coordinated community responses to poverty, housing insecurity, and homelessness. We look forward to continuing the conversation with MP Harrison in the months ahead as we work together to build a stronger, more connected community.
Breaking News: Jimothy has officially RSVP'd to our Fill the Fords event on August 8! 🎉

Want to join #Jimothy? Stop by Auto Connect between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to donate new school supplies in support of our Backpacks for Success initiative. Together, we'll help fill the Fords and backpacks so that students of all ages can start the school year with the tools they need to succeed . 🎒📚💙
United Way Peterborough & District invites community members to our 84th Annual General Meeting on Thursday, August 6, at the McDonnel St. Community Centre.

The evening will begin with a Community Conversation and Welcome Gathering from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., where you’ll have the opportunity to meet our CEO, Jason Seguya, hear about his vision for the future, and join the conversation about strengthening our community together. A reception with light appetizers will follow.

At 5:30 p.m., we’ll officially convene our Annual General Meeting to reflect on the past year, celebrate the impact we’ve made together, and conduct the business of the organization.

Space is limited! Please RSVP using the link in our bio.
🎒🚗 Introducing Fill the Fords! 🚗🎒

We’re teaming up with @autoconnectsales for a brand-new community event in support of our Backpacks for Success program, and you’re invited!

Join us on Saturday, August 8 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. to help us fill the Fords with new backpacks, school supplies, and financial donations for local students preparing to head back to school.

❤️Last year, nearly 500 local students received fully stocked backpacks through Backpacks for Success. With your help, we can make an even bigger impact this year.

Make a day of it!
🍔 Community BBQ featuring offerings from @kingstmarket
🍦 FREE @central_smith ice cream for the first 100 eligible donations (you heard that right)
🐻 Meet some special mascot guests

Whether you donate a backpack, a pack of pencils, lined paper or make a financial contribution, every gift helps a local student start the school year prepared, confident, and ready to learn.

📍 Auto Connect Sales 1175 Lansdowne St. West
📅 Saturday, August 8
⏰ 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Save this post, tag a friend, and help us #FillTheFords for local students! 🛻✨🎒
👏 A huge thank you to @islinsurance for stepping up to support Backpacks for Success this year! 

Their workplace donation drive is officially underway, and it's a great reminder that making a difference is easy, and can start right at work.

Want to get your workplace, business, or organization involved? Hosting a Backpacks for Success supply drive is easy, fun, and has a direct impact on local students as they head back to school with the supplies they need to succeed.

💬 Comment "BACKPACK" below, and we'll send you everything you need to get started, including our workplace toolkit, wish list, and all the details.

Together, we can help ensure every student starts the school year ready to learn. 📚✨
Every great leader has a story... and today, we're excited to share the beginning of @_thetiffanyshow story as your 2026 United Way Campaign Chair.

As we launch our 85th Community Campaign, we're turning the page to a new chapter - one rooted in connection, collaboration, and the incredible power of community. Tiffany has spent years shining a spotlight on the people, organizations and stories that make Peterborough & District such a special place to call home. Now, she'll help lead a Campaign that celebrates what we can accomplish when we come together.

This grand reveal wouldn't have been possible without the creativity and generosity of Johanna Hawkshaw and the incredible team @yourtvptbo who helped bring our vision to life. Thank you for embracing the fun and helping us tell this story in such a memorable way.

If UW Campaign Chairs came with a Netflix special, we're pretty sure this would make the final cut 🎬🍿 ... 

A special thank you as well to our 2025 Campaign Chair, Paul Rellinger, and our amazing staff for being great sports and helping kick off this exciting new chapter.

Here's to 85 years of neighbours helping neighbours, and to everything we'll accomplish together this campaign.

Welcome to the team, Tiffany! We can't wait to see what we are able to accomplish together.

#UnitedWayPeterborough #CommunityCampaign #85YearsUnited
Now Accepting Applications!📣

United Way Peterborough & District is pleased to announce that we are once again accepting proposals for funding through Reaching Home. 

Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding to communities to help them address their local homelessness needs. 

📝To apply, please visit our website at uwpeterborough.ca
‼️All applications must be submitted by Tuesday, August 4, 2026. 

If you’re interested in applying but aren’t sure if you’re eligible, or if you have questions that aren’t answered in the online checklist, please reach out to us at ℹ️ reachinghome@uwpeterborough.ca.
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