Nassau
Let's Get Social!


Ridgewood Teenager Donates Feminine Products to 6 Area Food Pantries

Ridgewood Teenager Donates Feminine Products to 6 Area Food Pantries

Jamie Longo decided to spearhead this initiative after realizing many pantries do not provide feminine hygiene products to people with periods in need.


Jamie Longo, a Brooklyn Technical High School sophomore, has collected and donated more than 225 bags of feminine hygiene products to food pantries such as Hungry Monk to support people with periods who need products, especially in the wake of coronavirus. Jamie’s brother Jacob had previously teamed up with Hungry Monk to help fellow Queens families affected by coronavirus. Jamie decided to spearhead the period product initiative after realizing that pantries frequently don’t give people access to feminine products, and that these products are especially essential during this time. Jamie purchased products straight from distributors with the money she collected.

“The problem is these pantries do not provide for the women and young girls in need. The New York population is 51.5 percent female, yet these pantries do not provide feminine hygienic products while many of the women and young girls who need them can’t afford them,” Jamie said in a previous NYMetroParents piece. “So that’s why I want to help by giving these women and young girls with the products they need.”

Jamie discovered PERIOD through her research into period product access and became a chapter leader for the organization after reaching out to them for project guidance. PERIOD has addressed more than 1 million periods through product distribution, according to QNS, and there are more than 700 PERIOD chapters across the country. Becoming a chapter leader allowed Jamie access to more products and avenues of fundraising.



Jamie provided products to six food pantries in total, four in Queens and two in Brooklyn, according to QNS. She distributed more than 225 bags of products to Hungry Monk alone on June 13, and gathered thousands of tampons, pads, panty liners, and menstrual cups in total. QNS reports that it took two weeks of fundraising—$750 of which came from Jamie’s own bank account—and collections from the community to gather everything.

Jamie and Jacob have been raised to appreciate the value of doing good for others. Their mother Connie’s reminds them of this mission through the words “Today for me, tomorrow for you.” For more on the altruistic efforts of the Altamirano children, check out previous NYMetroParents coverage, and keep an eye out for their next projects!

Learn more about Hungry Monk and how you can help its coronavirus emergency response efforts through this YouTube video. If you’re not in Queens, there are still plenty of opportunities for volunteering in the New York metro area and from home, so we can all help others during this time.

For more uplifting stories like this one delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Main Image: Courtesy Connie Altamirano, via QNS

 

More Health Articles:

Circus Glow Comes to Brooklyn and Queens

Circus Glow is bringing a totally new style of circus to Brooklyn and Queens. It is committed to providing children and families with an illuminated e...


Latest News:

How to Make Parent Friends: Strategies to Meet Other Moms and Dads

Want to make friends with other parents? Here's how to make mom friends and dad friends in and near NYC.


Family Activities:



Have a Laugh:

Best Memes of the Week for Parents

Here are the funniest parenting memes from Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit this week.
Jacqueline Neber

Author: Jacqueline Neber is a social journalism MA candidate at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. When she’s not reporting, you can find her petting someone else’s dog. See More

Featured Listings:

Pierce Country Day Camp

Pierce Country Day Camp

Roslyn , NY Pierce Country Day Camp is the best place under the sun for extraordinary summers! At Pierce we LOVE camp and LIVE camp in everything we do. Establish...

BACH TO ROCK Music School

BACH TO ROCK Music School

Port Washington, New York Whether a budding rock-star or an aspiring classical musician, BACH TO ROCK (B2R) is THE place to find the best music education programs for everyone!...

Buckley Country Day School

Buckley Country Day School

Roslyn, NY Buckley Country Day School is a private, mission-driven, independent co-educational day school, serving 330 children in grades toddler through eight. ...