Poughkeepsie NY Days for Girls Team

Co-Chairs: Sabashnee Govender & Judy Longacre

Work sessions: 2nd Saturday of each month, 1:30- 4:30 pm
Zion Episcopal Church
12 Satterlee Place, Wappingers Falls

The co-chairs request that you let them know in advance that you’ll be attending by the 1st Friday of the month so that if there is a change regarding the work sessions, they can notify you. This will also help us to prepare for the work sessions.
poughkeepsieny@daysforgirls.org

The Days for Girls Poughkeepsie NY team was established In June 2017. We make sustainable feminine hygiene kits for women and girls who live in developing countries, refugee camps and for those who experience periodic poverty in the USA. The Days for Girls Poughkeepsie NY team is the local team for Days for Girls International and a community initiative for the Poughkeepsie Branch of AAUW.

The kit contains… The kits cut school absences (by 5-7 days/month) and in this way, reduce dropouts and increase completion rates. Each Supreme kit is made up of 2 shields, 8 liners, a transport bag, a washcloth, 2 pairs of under wear, hotel size soap and a drawstring bag. We make the shields, liners, transport bag and drawstring bags. Thus far our team has donated 628 kits both globally and locally to Haiti, Bolivia, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mexico, Brazil, Cameroon and to refugee projects in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Syria, Chad, Jordan and Gaza. To combat the Ukrainian crisis, 8468 disposable pads were collected for distribution by Days for Girls International. In the last 2 years we donated 130 hybrid kits (2 shields, 2 liners, 10 tampons, 10 disposable pads) to local Kingston High School , Middletown High School ,Redeemed Christian Church of God (Poughkeepsie), New Paltz Library, Planned Parenthood and Day One Early learning community. 100 Pods (2 Shields and 2 liners) were donated to migrant workers of Western New York.

To complete the kits, we need to add underwear and wash cloths. We welcome your donations to help complete the kits.

Guidelines for underwear: Panties (stain hiding colors are recommended)

Girl’s sizes 14, 16 and Women’s sizes small, medium and large. A cotton blend brief (nylon causes chafing), no thongs or boy shorts (see guidelines for fabric regarding prints).

Guidelines for Washcloths: Must be cotton and must be new, not white.

Guidelines for fabric: Fabrics for DfG Kits must be NEW:

For Shields: Quality, durable 100% cotton (sometimes called Quilter’s cotton).
For Liners: Quality 100% cotton flannel
For Bags: Quality, durable 100% cotton or cotton/poly (cotton/poly okay for bags only).

All fabric must be: • Appealing Medium / Dark colors, preferably with patterns that help hide stains. • Botanical, geometric, batik, etc. patterns are best. • No light colored fabrics that will easily show stains • No prints with a face/eyes (animals, fish, people, etc.) • No insects or snakes (butterflies okay) • No Camouflage / Guns / Hunting • No solid saffron fabric for Asia (monk robe yellow) • Patterns okay • Avoid Cartoon / TV / Pop Culture / National flags/Words/ Glam • Bed sheets should not be used because the threads are usually smaller and therefore not as durable or strong as the quality fabric you buy at a fabric store.

Cash donations are also welcome, please see More Information and Forms.