*5/21/2025- UPDATE below orig.

*5/14/2025- UPDATE below orig.

The women’s restroom inside the Erie County Welfare Building in Buffalo, NY has a Narcan dispenser—but it’s been empty for over a year. Even worse, there’s no dispenser for pads or tampons at all.

Women often wait 2 to 6 hours to be seen. If they get their period while waiting, there’s nowhere to turn. That means bleeding through clothes, sitting in shame, and being forced to choose between help and dignity.

During one visit, a woman took matters into her own hands. She placed donated tampons inside the empty Narcan dispenser. Another woman thanked her, saying how much it helped—and soon, others began adding their own. This small act of compassion became a community effort.

But it shouldn’t fall on struggling women to help each other in a public building. It’s the county’s responsibility.

We demand:

1. The immediate installation of free feminine hygiene product dispensers in the women’s restroom(s)

2. Ongoing maintenance and restocking by the county

3. Transparency about building upkeep and bathroom supply access

Period products are not a luxury. They are a necessity.

*Still Empty—Still Ignored (5/14/2025 update)

Thank you all for your support so far. Last week, WIVB Channel 4’s Daniel Telvock reached out to the Erie County Department of Health, who claimed the Narcan dispenser inside the DSS building at 158 Pearl Street was last restocked in January or February. They also said:

"They had staff go today and restock all locations and told me they would check back more frequently (weekly basis) to keep all restocked."

But I just returned from my DSS appointment today—and the Narcan dispenser is still empty. I took two photos to document it, and I’m sharing them here.

Even more importantly: there is still no feminine hygiene product dispenser at all. This remains the heart of our campaign—helping women in need retain their dignity, safety, and basic access to menstrual care while seeking help.

On Mother’s Day, I visited a small local restaurant that offered free tampons in the women’s restroom without any issue. Why can’t our county building do the same?

We’re still waiting for change. Until then, I’ll keep documenting what’s being ignored.

Please share, sign, or donate if you believe women in poverty deserve better.

*Narcan Restocked, But Period Poverty Still Ignored  (5/21 UPDATE)

As of May 21st, the Narcan dispenser inside the Erie County Welfare Building has finally been restocked. This is an encouraging sign that public pressure can lead to action.

But let’s be clear: free menstrual hygiene products are still nowhere to be found—even though period supplies are just as essential to health and dignity as Narcan is to emergency care.

I’m continuing to draft a formal letter to Erie County leadership and ECAPS, and I need your help getting 100 petition signatures to give this effort even more weight.

Next Steps:

• Share this petition with your networks.

• Tell local media that this issue matters.

• Ask Erie County officials: Why is Narcan a priority, but not periods?

Let’s not stop now. We’re halfway to 100 signatures. Let’s double it and get Erie County to take this seriously.