Dignity Matters, Inc.

Dignity Matters is a non-profit organization that supplies female hygiene products and undergarments to women who are in need or who are homeless, in order to help them stay healthy, regain self-confidence, and live with basic dignity. Dignity Matters is based in Wayland, Massachusetts and oversees operations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In almost every community in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, there are women who cannot afford a bra, or may not even own one. Most of the homelessness women also face the humiliating reality of no access to tampons or pads. These challenges comes from the fact that feminine hygiene products and bras are very rarely donated to charities, food stamps do not cover them, asking strangers for female sanitary products can be humiliating, and most homeless shelters, in spite their best efforts, simply cannot cope with the demand. It leaves homeless, and critically poor women alone – in what amounts to a monthly crisis. In a short term, Dignity Matters assist those women by providing items they need the most. Our long term vision is a world where basic sanitary products are available in all public toilets, free of charge, just like toilet paper is (and, incidentally, for similar health and cleanliness reasons). Accomplishing this would bring us a big step closer to achieving true gender equality, which is imperative for a fair and sustainable world where everyone, of any gender, can thrive.