The Kwek Society

1. Near-term goals: grow exponentially the number of period products we donate and extend our reach to at least 90 school and program partners in North America (US and Canada) through 2021. Note: At the close of 2021 we had 72 partners in 8 states. We want to grow our partner numbers and operate throughout North America, while continuing to serve in a robust way all of our existing partners. As of year-end 2022 we have 99 partners in 14 states and in the Ontario province of Canada.

2. Ultimate goal: eliminate period poverty in Indigenous communities.

3. Operate with respect for those we serve.

4. Strive to lift up those we serve. Through social media, press coverage and personal engagement, educate all North Americans about the accomplishments of Indigenous youth, families and community members while shining light on the inequities experienced by those we help.

4. Thrive as a respected and well-run non-profit performing with transparency and excellence.

1. Obtain donations of menstrual supplies and related items, through local, volunteer-led product drives and manufacturer, supplier, and allied nonprofit organizations' donations. Secure cash donations to purchase and mail supplies to meet the monthly menstrual supply needs of the Indigenous students and communities we serve, including from the Native Nation sovereign governments. In February 2020 we were invited to become an Allied Program of the Alliance for Period Supplies, which is providing us with technical assistance and offers us free or reduced cost product from time to time.

2. Interact with leaders of schools and governments and community-based organizations in Indigenous communities in the US and Canada to meet the specific period product needs of each community. Our objective is to support the dignity of each person we serve and to meet individual preferences for period supplies whenever possible.

3. Engage others with respect to the strength, resilience and accomplishments of Indigenouspeople through personal and public interactions, through our website, www.kweksociety.org, Facebook and LinkedIn pages and Instagram account (thekweksociety) and Twitter feed, @KwekSociety, and through coverage by interested journalists.

4. Through these same avenues, raise awareness of the issue of "period poverty" -- that (1) needed period supplies are expensive, especially in rural areas without discount stores; (2) budgets often cannot be stretched to purchase sufficient monthly supplies, and (3) menstruators' health and dignity suffer as a result. Work to contribute to solutions that put an end to this scourge.

5. Share our performance and financial data through this platform and others.

1. We are all volunteers (except that we pay an intern who performs data entry and pay an accountant and a web designer for their expertise), with a passion for this important work.

2. Eighty percent of our board is indigenous. We believe that our respect for Indigenous traditions and our commitment to supporting the dignity of each person we serve has been integral to our growth to date. Many of our newer partners have been introduced to us by partners to whom we made early commitments to provide support.

3. In late 2020 we added an indigenous board member living in Ontario, Canada. She has strong connections among First Nations communities. As anticipated, she has brought us additional First Nations partnerships.

1. At the start of 2018 we were providing supplies to students in one school, Wounded Knee District School in Manderson, SD. By the end of 2019 we were serving students and communities in 4 states -- New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming -- and Ontario, Canada: a total of 37 schools and school programs. In 2020 we expanded our reach beyond schools to team with programs serving Indigenous persons and communities. We now count community health centers, youth groups and a street medicine program and a research program among our partners. By the end of 2021, we had expanded to both US coasts.
Our partner count at year end 2022: Alaska -3, Arizona-5, Colorado-3, Iowa-3, Kansas-1,Maine-6, Nevada-1, New Mexico-27, Oklahoma-22, Oregon-2, South Dakota-7, Utah-1, Vermont-1,Wyoming-5, Canada (Ont.)-11, a total of 99 partners. As of September 2023 we had 121.

2. Through social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and press interest we have educated the public to the need to take action in response to the national disgrace that Indigenous people are skipping school and work when they have their periods because they cannot afford menstrual supplies. Our supporters are becoming active contributors to our work: during 2019, supporters held seven community pad drives and 4 Native American women and a dozen other supporters sewed moon time bags for those we support. During the 2020 pandemic the need for COVID masks became acute and a dozen supporters helped us supply more than 10,500 masks to schools and communities across the United States. During 2022, 15 donors sewed moon time bags for us.

We were recognized for our work to end period poverty in Native communities by a Brussels-based group, Women Political Leaders, when we accepted the 2019 POWER, TOGETHER Award, along with other period poverty-focused organizations working around the globe, at the Women Leaders Global Forum in November 2019. We received our first public grant in December 2019 from MissionBox, which financed our supplying students in 17 of the schools and programs we serve period supplies (pads, liners, underwear) over during Winter Break. During spring 2020 we secured our first commitment of monthly support from a foundation; during summer 2020 we were awarded another sizeable grant and in December 2020 we received our first sizeable grant from a family foundation. The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development wrote about us in mid-June 2020 as one of a number of indigenous women-run groups doing “critical and courageous work” to assist Native communities and Native nations during the pandemic. Our partnership with Bras for Girls raised our profile in mid-2022 and garnered almost 3000 bras for those we support. Later in 2022, we were recognized as Wyoming's Period Hero by Always/Walmart.

In October 2020 we launched a quarterly newsletter and debuted a new brand, logo and website. We are energized and plan to push ahead as far as funds and time permit!