Ridgewood Teenager Donates Feminine Products to 6 Area Food Pantries

Jamie Longo decided to spearhead this initiative after realizing many pantries do not provide feminine hygiene products to people with periods in need.

By Jacqueline Neber June 29, 2020

Jamie Longo, a Brooklyn Technical High School sophomore, has collected and donated more than 225 bags of feminine hygiene products to food pantries such as Hungry Monk to support people with periods who need products, especially in the wake of coronavirus. Jamie’s brother Jacob had previously teamed up with Hungry Monk to help fellow Queens families affected by coronavirus. Jamie decided to spearhead the period product initiative after realizing that pantries frequently don’t give people access to feminine products, and that these products are especially essential during this time. Jamie purchased products straight from distributors with the money she collected.

“The problem is these pantries do not provide for the women and young girls in need. The New York population is 51.5 percent female, yet these pantries do not provide feminine hygienic products while many of the women and young girls who need them can’t afford them,” Jamie said in a previous NYMetroParents piece. “So that’s why I want to help by giving these women and young girls with the products they need.”

Jamie discovered PERIOD through her research into period product access and became a chapter leader for the organization after reaching out to them for project guidance. PERIOD has addressed more than 1 million periods through product distribution, according to QNS, and there are more than 700 PERIOD chapters across the country. Becoming a chapter leader allowed Jamie access to more products and avenues of fundraising.

Jamie provided products to six food pantries in total, four in Queens and two in Brooklyn, according to QNS. She distributed more than 225 bags of products to Hungry Monk alone on June 13, and gathered thousands of tampons, pads, panty liners, and menstrual cups in total. QNS reports that it took two weeks of fundraising—$750 of which came from Jamie’s own bank account—and collections from the community to gather everything.

Jamie and Jacob have been raised to appreciate the value of doing good for others. Their mother Connie’s reminds them of this mission through the words “Today for me, tomorrow for you.” For more on the altruistic efforts of the Altamirano children, check out previous NYMetroParents coverage, and keep an eye out for their next projects!

Learn more about Hungry Monk and how you can help its coronavirus emergency response efforts through this YouTube video. If you’re not in Queens, there are still plenty of opportunities for volunteering in the New York metro area and from home, so we can all help others during this time.

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Main Image: Courtesy Connie Altamirano, via QNS