Passion for helping: Maurice woman organizes effort to aid homeless women, honor late friend

The US, among industrial nations, has the largest number of homeless women and the highest number on record since the Great Depression. An estimated 50% of all homeless people are women. A Maurice woman, after seeing a documentary several years ago about what homeless women struggle with, decided to put one foot forward in the fight to help these women. Jenni Painter gives herself a yearly goal; this year being a goal of 25 bags full of products by Christmas. This is Painter’s fourth year in doing a supply drive to support homeless women.
“Three years ago my sister Kristin Robinson, Louis Mayeux and I started giving out bags to homeless women that we had put together as we approached the holidays,” Painter said, “With the help of our friends and family, we are able to put smiles on their faces.” After the loss of Mayeux, who passed away shortly after the first drive, the duo continued to help homeless women with this amazing act of kindness, in his memory.
She remembers her friend Louis who would walk up to homeless women and offer them love, just like that.
Painter knows that there are different reasons of homelessness in women, some being domestic violence or assaults, in fact, 57% of homeless women cite assaults and domestic violence as the direct cause of they homelessness. These brave women decided that homelessness was a chance for them to try and start over and was easier than the abuse, but it is hard being a homeless woman.
Nearly 50% of homeless women experience a major depressive episode after becoming homeless and they have three times the normal rate of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and have drug and alcohol dependencies. Their death rates also rise, sometimes returning to their abusers because they cannot find long-term housing, this can be fatal.
Painter, hoping to leave a footprint in this world and show her children that lots can be done to make people smile, is hoping to spread the word to the world so that more women can be able to just have a bag of basic necessities to get them by. “We now have joined forces with Sandra Cambre, who will be passing the bags out,” Painter said, “She and her family give time every Sunday to feed the homeless, so this is a perfect opportunity for us to join together and spread the love this holiday season.”
She asks that those who find it in their hearts, to please send all of their old bags and purses for the homeless women drive. “We do also need money so we can get more supplies, or, you can send or drop off supplies.”
Supplies needed for the homeless women drive are
Femine products
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Hair brush
Socks
Blankets
Razors
Midol, ibuprofen or tylenol,
Soap,
Shampoo
Conditioner

Uncertainty, struggle and stigma are just some of the threads that knit together the shared experiences of the homeless community, but for women who are homeless, there are several unique challenges only they know: What it's like to have a period without access to supplies. What it's like to monitor your behavior due to fear of sexual assault. What it's like to be pregnant and not have the services you desperately need. Although so many of us think homelessness is rare, living without access to stable housing is much more common than one may think.
In an article by Katie Dupere on mashable.com, she states that for homeless women, coping with menstruation is a monthly challenge — and often a nightmare. The majority of shelters aren’t allocated governmental funds to put toward period products, and pads and tampons often rank low on the financial list of priorities for homeless women.
Anyone with a period knows products are costly, with a box of tampon or pads costing around $5 to $10, plus tax. Even in public restrooms, a pad or tampon, which can be used for around 8 hours at most, will set you back at least 25 cents. Over the course of a week-long cycle, that money adds up — and fast. Many homeless women say the cost is unmanageable, often using ripped pieces of cloth or toilet paper instead of sanitary napkins or tampons, risking infection.What you can do: There are several regional organizations dedicated to broadening access to period products for homeless women, with Distributing Dignity one of the most wide-reaching efforts. To make a local impact, reach out to local homeless shelters to donate period products to women in your local community.
For Painter, she is relying on the kindness of others to help her community and as many homeless women as she can. There have been many donations over the years, but Painter’s gratitude never stops. “I love helping these women, and I hope you do too. This is just a small way we could impact their daily life in a good way, lets make them smile this holiday season.”
To help, you can find Jenni Painter on social media, or email her at Jenniferlee4100@gmail.com.