The Period Access Distribution (PAD) Center is the newest initiative of the Junior League of Lynchburg (JLL). Serving in conjunction with the YWCA of Central Virginia and Gleaning for the World, the JLL established the PAD Center in 2021 after a two year process of researching critical needs that were currently going unaddressed in the area and developing ways to fill these gaps.
In our community, women struggle to achieve adequate menstrual hygiene due to lack of access and low income. Women are statistically more likely to live in poverty, and in our community, the poverty rate is 21%. A woman should never have to make a choice between food or pads or between paying the electric bill or buying tampons.
Our Mission
Not having a basic hygiene need met can be traumatic and can create additional financial barriers for women. Our collective objective is to implement a multidisciplinary approach to alleviating period poverty in Central Virginia by providing free feminine hygiene products and related education to women in need. We believe no one should have to struggle to accommodate a basic hygiene necessity.
Who We Serve
Any woman in Central Virginia in need of assistance with procuring feminine hygiene products (pads or tampons, liners, and wipes) can qualify. Individuals can apply for a FREE monthly subscription service by clicking here.
Referring partners in medical offices, allied health/mental health fields, education, family services, nonprofit groups, and more will have immediate response kits available and can help women enroll in a monthly subscription of feminine hygiene products. To learn more about becoming a referring partner, click here.
How We Do It
PAD Center is a distribution hub. We work with referring partners throughout the Central Virginia region to reach women in need of feminine hygiene products. Referring partners are anyone who come in contact that can refer women or encourage them to apply to receive the products. PAD Center does not have any qualifying criteria of their own. Check out the referring partner section if your organization is interested in partnering with us!
PAD Center distributes products in two ways. The method is getting products in the hands of those in need. The first is an Immediate Response Kit (IRK) which includes feminine hygiene products for immediate use. All IRKs are comprised of the same products. Clients can receive an IRK from any of our referring partners or from our office at the YWCA Town Center.
Once a client has received an IRK, they are encouraged to sign up for a monthly subscription, our second distribution option. The sign up is free of charge and enables PAD Center to meet the specific needs of an individual – women are not all made the same, so we want to make sure that the women we reach are being helped in a productive way. Each month, a subscription of feminine hygiene products is provided for pick up from the location most convenient to each client as specified on their application. Pick up locations include the YWCA Town Center and most of our referring partners, who are located in Lynchburg, Rustburg, and Bedford. These kits will be tailored to the preferences of clients as supplies allow.
PAD Center has a transitional office space at YWCA Town Center and is currently open on Mondays and Thursdays.
PAD Center 