Justice Necessary Fights Period Poverty with 2.5 Million Products for Colorado Students

In coordination with National Menstrual Hygiene Day, PeriodPalooza mobilizes volunteers to deliver free period products to 460 Colorado schools

DENVER, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As a part of a statewide effort to implement House Bill 24-1164, which requires free period products in all female and gender-neutral restrooms in Colorado middle and high schools, and in recognition of Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, Justice Necessary is delivering 1,371 dispensers and over 2.5 million pads and tampons to 460 schools across all five regions of the state through its landmark initiative, PeriodPalooza. Volunteers at events in Fort Collins, Pueblo, Grand Junction, Colorado Springs and Denver are assembling one-month period care kits for local students. Each event also serves as a distribution point for schools receiving menstrual supplies through Justice Necessary's Menstrual Product Grant.

PeriodPalooza is a mobilization to ensure students across Colorado have reliable access to period products — whether in the classroom or during extracurricular activities. This campaign helps schools meet the first milestone of HB24-1164 while spotlighting menstrual health as a vital part of student success. It all leads up to Menstrual Hygiene Day, a global observance aimed at breaking the stigma around menstruation and demanding access to period care for all.

"When 80% of Colorado students who experience periods miss class due to a lack of access to period products, we partnered with legislators and stakeholders to pass HB 24-1164. But passing a law isn't enough. Real change comes from putting policy into practice," said Diane Cushman Neal, Founder and President of Justice Necessary. "We launched PeriodPalooza across Colorado to bring communities and schools together to pack and distribute over 2.5 million period products to ensure students have what they need to stay in school. Our goal is to raise awareness about the barriers students face and remind us all that access to period products just is necessary."

The data that Cushman Neal cites, taken from studies conducted by Justice Necessary over the past three years, shows that an increasing number of Colorado students have experienced gaps in their education due to a lack of access to period products. The studies also demonstrate that 90% of Colorado teens have started their period unexpectedly in public without the supplies they need and 66% have been unable to take part in extracurricular activities.

PeriodPalooza events have occurred in Fort Collins, Pueblo, Grand Junction and Colorado Springs. The final stop in Denver is on Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day at the Sheraton Denver Tech Center.

Justice Necessary is seeking volunteers ages 12 and up for two-hour shifts throughout the day. No experience is required. To register as a volunteer or make a donation, visit www.justicenecessary.org.

ABOUT JUSTICE NECESSARY
Founded in 2021 by Diane Cushman Neal, Justice Necessary is a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to combating period poverty and hygiene poverty in Colorado communities. Justice Necessary works throughout Colorado to deliver essential hygiene products to address immediate needs, while also focusing on community engagement, continuity of products, education and legislative support. Since its inception, Justice Necessary has provided more than 5,170,000 organic period products and more than 275,000 eco-friendly diapers and wipes, as well as over 325,000 other personal and household hygiene products. Learn more at justicenecessary.org.

SOURCE Justice Necessary