Former Chilliwack resident Giada Lemmens has written a book, The Period Prepper, for anyone interested in making period kits for emergency preparedness.
Lemmens, grew up in Chilliwack, and now lives in Hope with husband Joshua Lemmens.
The motivation for her book jumped out at her while her husband was getting ready to give an emergency preparedness workshop in Chilliwack.
Something crucial was missing.
“I was scanning his cue cards the night before and noticed there was nothing about period products,” she recounted.
The course was specifically about what to pack in an emergency grab-and-go kit.
“He realized he hadn’t covered it. I had a few cloth pads and some disposables, and showed him how to use them.”
He incorporated the items into the course. Some people had never seen reusable cloth pads.
“Some of their jaws dropped,” Lemmens said. They showed friends, and passed them around.
“I had thought that the information was common knowledge.”
But it was not. She searched online to see if there was anything about menstruation during emergencies.
“That lack of information is what led me to write the book,” Lemmens said. “It needs to go mainstream.”
Menstrual products are so vital in emergency situations, especially when there are supply chain issues and no retail shelves being stocked.
“I remember when we had an ice storm in Hope and a woman posted that on the Hope Bulletin Board that she had run out of tampons.”
Lemmens said her hope is that kind of thing won’t happen if people have the know-how.
“It should be one less thing that women have to worry about so they can take care of their families and children. It’s a gateway need.”
Once these needs are in check, they can move on to other things, she underlined.
Lemmens spent a year researching and writing the book to include an exploration of both disposable and reusable menstrual products, and which ones are best suited in emergency situations.
There are instructions on creating period kits to suit various needs, and budgets.
Sometimes the pads or tampons are used for first aid purposes to treat injuries like punctures.
The book is available on Amazon, and Fraser Valley Regional Library officials said they will stock it .
More at www.theperiodprepper.com or message hello@theperiodprepper.com
RELATED: Project AIM teams up with MLA to erase menstrual shame
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