By William Smith
Period poverty — the inability to afford menstrual supplies — is a relatively new term in America.
But it is not a relatively new problem. As many as two in five people in the U.S. fall under the period poverty description, and as prices rise, those numbers are growing.
Kerri Neil and her fellow volunteers with the Burlington-based non-profit organization Code Red know they can’t solve a national crisis. The problem is far bigger than they are.
However, they can help local women access the feminine care products they need – and they’ve been doing so since Neil founded the organization in 2023.
“Our initial goal was to do a one-time product drive, just to raise awareness that this is a problem. It’s everywhere. So we were going to do it one time, for two weeks, putting boxes up in places,” she said.
The drive proved to be a success, even garnering period products for local food pantries.
“We supplied them with a ton of products,” she said.
Neal thought Code Red was over after that first supply. However, she has always been motivated by women’s rights issues, and a conversation with United Way President Megan Brincks prompted her to think bigger.
“I had feminine health issues. I had chronic pain for over 20 years, and the only option was surgery, but nobody would do it because I wasn’t married,” she said.
Neil moved from her home in Cedar Rapids 10 years ago to be closer to friends in Burlington. She landed at Dana’s Total Image as a massage therapist, and she occupied that space for four years. The owner, Dana Atkins, is a former president of the South Hill Neighborhood Association, which helped Neil foster ties with the community.
“When I was a kid, my grandma told me that our only job on this planet is to take care of each other. And that if you can help, you should,” she said.
Neil had her hands full juggling her own life, but that didn’t deter her from helping others.
“I was a single mother, and I worked a lot. I always made just too much money to get any help or assistance. But not enough to really thrive,” she said.
Now that her two daughters are grown, Neil is in a position to work for herself. She opened her own business, Me Time Massage and Therapy, a few years ago.
Neil will be granted money to fund the Year Supply Project, which will provide enough menstruation products for local women for a year. Code Red also provides free coats for children every winter as part of their drive.
Neil would love to have a central office for the organization, but right now, she’s busy gathering all the period supplies into a central location. The organization’s website is nearly complete, and its Facebook page serves as the primary method of communication for now.
Neil said the group’s Facebook page, called Code Red, serves as a resource for those who wish to request supplies. Due to the large number of Code Red organizations, however, search for the organization using the word “Burlington” to find it.
“The people we assist, they’re just over the moon. They never knew there was anything like this,” Neil said.
Neil planned on putting her passion into action by raising $400 for Code Red and participating in the Over the Edge fundraiser last Friday. Locals who raised funds for their charity organizations earned a spot to rappel down the F&M Bank building, and Neil was one of them.
That’s just the start.
“We’ve done two education events, and we would like to get more of those off the ground,” Neil said.