SAN ANTONIO – Andrea Ley, owner of Olla Express Cafe, said there is a reason for her Strawberry Horchata recipe.
“It’s a pink color,” Ley said. “I think it goes really well with the Periodpalooza’s work.”
Olla Express Cafe is one of the 20 businesses fundraising and collecting donations for period products through December. This weekend, a portion of the proceeds from the horchata drink go to Periodpalooza, the group leading these donation efforts across San Antonio.
Periodpalooza works to bridge the accessibility gap of period poverty for more people in the city.
“This is just the beginning,” said Olivia Orona, event director for Periodpalooza. “We would love to get as many products as possible.”
Data shows that 16.9 million people who menstruate in the United States are living in poverty. Jorge Medina, the CEO of the San Antonio Diaper Bank, said he’s seen an increase in demand for period products this season.
“We’ve seen an uptick on the number of items being requested,” Medina said. “For those families that are struggling -- you hear it every day, you know how it makes a difference.”
Periodpalooza has a partnership with Chiflada’s Cocktail Bar on the West Side for a physical “period pantry.” It’s a cabinet in the fencing that stores free period products, like menstrual pads and tampons.
Periodpalooza has a list of businesses collecting donations in boxes on its social media pages.
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