May 28, 2026
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Celebrate Pride Month with events, activities, and reading recommendations from the New Orleans Public Library.
Junior League Partnership Provides Monthly Period Kits at 2 Library Locations
Since October 2022, the New Orleans Public Library has been working with the Junior League of New Orleans to combat period poverty, or the lack of access to period supplies. May 11-17 is Period Poverty Awareness Week, and we’re taking the opportunity to shine a light on this important partnership.
According to a 2021 survey, 84 percent of respondents reported they or someone they know missed classes due to something period-related, and over a third of low-income women report missing work or other events due to lack of access to period supplies. In 2021, nearly one in four students struggled to afford period products in the United States.
Period products are not covered by food stamps or federally funded health programs like WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
The goal of period equity is to make sure everyone has the basic supplies they need to participate in daily life. Rachel Bailey, head of adult programming at the Library, said partnering with the Junior League was the first step to major improvements in the Library’s ability to provide free pads and tampons to anyone who needs them, no questions asked.
JLNO Leadership 2026
The Junior League of New Orleans' 2026 President Elect poses with Kendra Reade, vice chair of donations and drives, Michelle Clarke Payne, president, and Dale O'Neill, 2026 key lead for JLNO's Diaper Bank at Keller Library & Community Center.
Period Supplies 2025
Since the partnership started in 2022, the Library and Junior League have given out more than 750 kits containing a month’s worth of products through this service.
Junior League Period Kits
Sarah Howard, 2025 JLNO Diaper Bank Co-Key Leader, Tara Waldron, 2025 JLNO president, and Catherine Rigby, 2025 JLNO Board of Directors Community Council Director, at Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center, one of two Library locations supplying free monthly period kits.
In October 2022, the Library began offering monthly period kits at Rosa F. Keller Library, courtesy of the JLNO’s Diaper Bank, which distributes diapers, menstrual supplies, and adult incontinence products across the city. A few months later, the service expanded to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, which is located inside a K-8 grade school in the Lower 9th Ward.
“These two programs led to us equipping all female and unisex bathrooms system-wide with free single menstruation products,” Bailey said. “It’s a wonderful thing that helps us to create comfort in our spaces.”
Since the partnership started, the Library and Junior League have given out more than a thousands kits containing a month’s worth of products through this service.
“We are proud to support those who are in a jam with those resources in our bathrooms, but the Junior League’s monthly kits get you out of more than just a jam,” Bailey said. “For those lacking access to period products, these resources are a way to get through the month without worry or fear. It’s a great way to support those communities and we are happy to help make them available.”
Sharon Kohl, manager at Keller Library, said she’s proud to partner with the Junior League on this initiative.
“This program helps remove barriers that too often keep people from school, work, or daily activities simply because they don’t have access to essential care. By providing these supplies in a safe, welcoming space like the neighborhood library, we’re helping reduce stigma, promote dignity, and support the overall well-being of our community,” Kohl said.
“We’re deeply grateful to the Junior League for their continued commitment and for helping us sustain this vital resource for those who need it most.”
Theresa Butler is the manager of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. A lot of students from the attached school rely on the monthly kits, and Butler said she’s thankful to be able to supply them.
“Providing period supplies in public libraries is important because it directly addresses period poverty, which can prevent people from fully participating in daily life. Libraries are free, accessible, and stigma-free spaces, so offering these supplies ensures that anyone in need can manage their health with dignity,” Butler said.
Tara Waldron was JLNO’s sitting president in 2025 and Kendra Reade helped establish the Library’s partnership with the Junior League when she was the Period Supplies Chair in 2022.
“The JLNO Diaper Bank provides access to period products and raises awareness about period poverty because we understand that federal and state safety-net programs do not cover these items. A woman is often left with the choice of buying period supplies for herself or buying food for her family,” Waldron said. “If a woman does not have the supplies she needs on a monthly basis, she cannot go to work or school — putting her behind those who can. She is constantly having to work harder to catch up to her peers, making what is often already an uphill battle to grow personally and professionally that much harder.”
Since 2020, JLNO distributed more than 460,000 period products through a variety of community partnerships and local schools, including the Library.
“One in four teens in the U.S. have missed class due to lack of access to period supplies,” Reade said. “And with Louisiana consistently ranked as one of the worst states for women, we need to raise awareness about period poverty and educate the community on the barriers facing people unable to afford supplies. Period supplies should be in public bathrooms with other necessary products like toilet paper and soap, and we’re so happy to see important institutions, like the New Orleans Public Library, leading by example.”
The Junior League of New Orleans’ 2026 leadership team includes President Elect Shelby Wynne, Diaper Bank Key Lead Dale O’Neill, and Sitting President Michelle Clarke Payne.
“Access to period products is not a luxury; it is essential,” said Payne said. “Through partnerships like these, we are expanding our reach and ensuring that more individuals across our region have consistent, reliable access to the basic necessities they need.”
If you or someone you know needs period supplies, you can find them in the restroom at any New Orleans Public Library location. Or, visit Rosa F. Keller Library & Community Center (4300 S Broad St.) or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library (1617 Fats Domino Ave.) to fill out a monthly kit request card, return it to the desk, then bring home your free period supply kit.
May 8, 2026
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The New Orleans Public Library and Junior League of New Orleans partner to provide monthly period supply kits for free.
May 4, 2026
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Since 1957, the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library have been standing up for the Library’s mission through sponsorship, fundraising, and advocacy work.
2 thoughts on “Junior League Partnership Provides Monthly Period Kits at 2 Library Locations”
If I had a group interested in volunteering to help with this cause, whom would I contact, and how could we assist the Junior League with this cause?
Thank you for your interest in supporting this cause! If you’d like to contact the Junior League, please visit https://www.jlno.org/contact/.