We have a responsibility to work in partnership with low-resource populations and be more friendly to the earth by decreasing our water and landfill waste.
In 2020, a group of three UIC students, Abigail Suleman, Amy Chang, and Divya Krishnakumar, pitched their project idea "Blood Buds" to the UIC Office of Sustainability. Ten days later, we were awarded a grant of $5,279.85 to educate and distribute free menstrual cups to students at UIC!
Video: A Blood Buds Film: Our Impact, A Collection of Testimonials (2021)
Since our establishment as a project, we have expanded our work as a registered student organization. Our mission is to make sustainable menstruation accessible through education, community, and action. We value open discussions of periods and menstrual health. It is critical to include everyone in menstruation conversations: not all women menstruate, and not all menstruators are women. We support one another by sharing our experiences with period poverty, pain, irregularities, and stigma.
Some of our key programs have included:
Cloth Pad Sewing - service opportunity to sew reusable cloth menstrual pads for people on and off campus in partnership with other organizations
Menstrual Hub - monthly distribution of free menstrual cups on campus
Menstrual Cup 101 - live Zoom education on period poverty, sustainable menstruation, and how to use a menstrual cup
Blood Buds Consultants - opportunity for members to become educators at the Menstrual Hub, Menstrual Cup 101, and other programs in the community
Blood Buds Menstrual Cup Education Handout - see free resource here
Today, Blood Buds also has three committees:
The Education Committee organizes educational events and materials on menstrual health and environmental topics including: period health, equity, stigma, pain, poverty, irregularities, products, and more.
The Community Committee fosters relationships between members, collaborates with other student organizations, and builds solidarity with communities beyond campus.
The Action Committee provides accountability, logistical support, and management for projects and new ideas, ensuring the long-term achievement of sustainable menstrual equity at UIC and beyond.
The beginning of Blood Buds was featured in UIC Today in July 2021.
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