Welcome, August!
Hi everyone, thank you for checking our blog!
Although many of our events have been postponed, we are happy to have a lovely community behind us! Despite the current situation, we had numerous individual packing parties over the last month!
Here are some July updates from our newsletter that highlight the marvelous work of our volunteers:
In late June, Karla C. and Alexis R. held their own packing party, putting together Dignity Bags for distribution throughout San Diego. Each bag was beautifully decorated with notes of encouragement. Our lovely volunteers, Lizette B. and event leader Courtney M. started July with an individual packing party as well. They assembled 30 Dignity Bags each, 60 Dignity Bags total! Thanks so much, Lizette and Courtney!
We had yet another volunteer-run packing party! Woo-hoo! Thank you to Bridget D., Miranda R., and their families for putting together so many Dignity Bags, we appreciate all of your help!
After all of these awesome packing parties by our volunteers, we had another wonderful act of service from our volunteer, Isaiah! Isaiah completed a donation drop-off of tampon and pad Dignity Bags to one of our community organization partners, Sharia’s Closet. Sharia’s Closet is a non-profit organization in San Diego, CA that supplies free, emergency clothing to those facing financial hardship. We are inspired by their work and are grateful to be partnering with this amazing organization. Thank you for your dedication, Isaiah!
Other exciting news from the Fulfilling Destiny team:
On Thursday, July 16th, our Executive Assistant, Jayzle-May, moved to Las Vegas, NV! She will be teaching while continuing her educational journey at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she will be pursuing a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. Jayzle-May will also continue her work with Fulfilling Destiny! We are extremely proud of her and can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in Las Vegas!
Our Fulfilling Destiny family is growing and we are so excited to introduce two of our newest interns, Jan-Marini Pacleb and Mariza Zaratan! Jan-Marini and Mariza will be joining our team as Fall Community Outreach Interns, be sure to keep an eye out for updates on their work and final projects! We are so happy to have you join the FD family and are eager to see what you achieve in these next few months!
We want to recognize all of our team members who just recently graduated. Congratulations to: Rachel Ann Reyes, Karla Celis, Ruby Lynn, and Jayzle-May Pacleb! We are so proud of each of you for your academic accomplishments and deeply inspired by your adaptability and resilience during these unprecedented times. We are eager to see where life takes you next!
Period Stigma and Why We Need to Talk About Periods:
No one should feel ashamed or embarrassed about what they are experiencing. Menstruation is a completely natural experience but is surrounded by inaccurate and harmful stigma. Having a period is not “gross,” it is not “unclean,” and it is not “too graphic.” This mindset limits any improvement for the menstrual community. Reconstructing our conversations about periods is crucial. The taboos surrounding menstruation contribute to a lack of proper education and support for menstruators all across the world.
Fulfilling Destiny is passionate about de-stigmatizing periods. We embrace ALL period experiences and believe that sharing period stories will change society’s perception of menstruation. Every story shared and conversation held is a step towards normalizing periods and putting an end to period shaming! This featured story is about Karla’s journey with her first period.
Here are some links you may find interesting:
Ariana’s Informational Video on Period Poverty
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Exacerbates Period Poverty
All About Tampon Tax (and how to protest it!)
Here are some activities to do at home:
Call/Zoom a friend & try out these games!
Make a Reusable Menstrual Pad (free sewing pattern)
Watch a Period Poverty TEDTalk
Here is how you can support us:
We are still accepting donations. If you have the means to donate, we would greatly appreciate your help! Please visit the “Ways to Donate” page on the Fulfilling Destiny website or contact us directly for more information! To keep our community safe, we ask that you consider a monetary donation instead of donating products in person. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and support!
If you are interested in hosting a packing party, please contact: jayzle-may@fulfillingdestiny.org
We would love to hear from you! If you would like to share your period journey story, please contact: marketing@fulfillingdestiny.org
