Providing for Women Partners with Emerge

Local non-profit helps women in need with necessities ‘most people don’t think about’.  A local non-profit that helps area women is expected to move into Emerge in the coming weeks. Founded in 2017, Providing for Women of Xenia announced this week its partnership with Emerge as it continues to grow. The organization also recently made an agreement with Xenia City Schools to offer services to girls in need throughout the school system. They have a fundraising event slated for next month at the Greene County Fairgrounds.

“This journey started for me five years ago when one of my daughters shared a documentary on Facebook that followed a homeless woman through New York City,” said Lisa Jordan, the organization’s founder. “The documentary was about how homeless women deal with their period. It was really sad. At the time, I knew about the homelessness problem in Xenia and wanted to donate the boxes of products I had to the homeless shelter because I knew there would be a need and I never thought about it. People think about clothes. People think about hygiene and food. However, there’s a stigma in our society that we aren’t supposed to talk about being on your period.”

At the time, Jordan said she donated the boxes she had but felt the call to donate more. “It was like God tapped me on my shoulder and said, ‘you can do more than that,’” Jordan said. “Then, the scripture came to mind about how Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fishes and fed 5,000, and my mind started racing. I knew I could do more. I called my daughter and said we have to do something. At that time, I was just thinking about Xenia. I got on Facebook to try to gather up some pads and tampons to help women in need in Xenia.”

Then, Jordan went to her female pastor at AHOP Church and they discussed it with members of the church. “All the women at church realized they had never thought about this being such a need either,” Jordan said. “By November 11, we got our paperwork back that we were going to be called ‘Providing for Women.’ We collected enough products to help 100 women that first year. We distributed 100 packages of products. That’s where we started. It just grew from there.”

After some time, in addition to helping homeless people, the organization began helping food pantries to make sure they had feminine hygiene products when it was needed.

Then, in 2018, Jordan contacted Xenia City Schools to begin helping young women in the school system, which has a clinic that offers these products to girls, but often runs out. "We started providing to girls at the high school,” Jordan said. “About 90 percent of our visitors to the
high school clinic are girls on their period. We started supplying the clinics with pads and tampons. This past year I started a push to get dispensers in the bathrooms at the schools.” Jordan did this because statistics show an average of 1 out of every 5 young girls does not have access to proper products for their period for various reasons.

Additionally, you have the kids that can afford them but aren’t prepared and start their period at school.” Jordan said this takes them out of class and causes them to miss time in school. After getting the head nurse involved, eventually, Jordan was able to get dispensaries in bathrooms throughout the school system.

"Xenia schools starting this fall will be installing a total of 30 dispensers in the bathrooms," Jordan said. "This is the first time in as long as anyone can remember that students will have access to necessary pads or tampons in the school bathrooms, and for free. They are being installed in the elementary, middle, and the high school. This is a huge step in our battle against period poverty, the lack of access to necessary period products."

The cost for this first trial year will be $5,900 to fill 30 dispensers throughout Xenia’s school system. “This is going to save a lot of girls hassle and attendance issues,” said Laylah Jordan, who is Lisa’s teenage daughter and number one volunteer since she was 10 years old. This should increase attendance by 2% according to statistics.”

Moving forward from this milestone with the city school system, Jordan said they are excited about moving into Emerge, which is another huge milestone for the organization, and they hope to be moved in by August 20.

“I see this move to Emerge being a great thing,” Jordan said. “I have a vision of once we get in and set up that we would be able to open the doors that women will be able to come in and get what they need like they’re shopping. Our whole thing is about providing dignity. Hygiene is such an important thing for everyone. We want people to feel good about themselves and get whatever they need.”

Moving to Emerge, she said, will also help the organization grow. “It’ll be good for us and good for Emerge,” she said. “We are really excited to partner and to be here and serve and we see a lot of good things coming out of it.”

“When we provide men and women these basic things such as razors, toothpaste, makeup — it gives them a sense of self-worth,” Laylah Jordan said. “Sometimes, when they look into the mirror, they don’t see themselves. It gives them a sense of confidence and gives them the dignity to go out and face the world. It’s the little things like this we take for granted and we are happy to be able to provide whatever
we can." 

To raise money to provide these products, Jordan’s organization has fundraisers throughout the year. Their biggest fundraiser, “Shop For Dignity,” is this Aug. 20 and Aug. 21 at the Greene County Fairgrounds.

“This is our fourth year doing it, so we’re excited,” Jordan said. “We have 50 vendors already with more coming on board.”

Jordan said the funds raised from this event helps them purchase products that they use in the schools. 

"The goal at Emerge is to build community partners to best serve the needs of future residents,” said Elaine Bonner, Director of Philanthropy at Emerge. “As we design personal, transformational, and vocational pathways for people seeking recovery and youth aging out of foster care, we welcome Lisa with Providing for Women as part of the Emerge family!"

For more information, contact:
Elaine Bonner
937.974.6120
Emerge Recovery & Trade Initiative
Emergerecoverytrade.com
-- OR --
Lisa Jordan
937-532-4352
Providing 4 Women
www.providingforwomen.org
https://www.providingforwomen.org