Female Disruptors: Jennifer Gaines of Alliance for Period Supplies On The Three Things You Need To Shake Up Your Industry

Never sell yourself short — This advice was given to me most recently. I have a terrible tendency to downplay my achievements or not put so much emphasis behind all the hard work I do and I’m really not sure where that comes from. I am a big believer that actions speak louder than words, so I think a lot of my energy goes to making action opposed to talking about it. I was recently called out on it during a staff meeting after listing off all the projects I’m currently working on with a nonchalant approach. I really appreciated the call out because it was not only a great boost of confidence for approaching my work with more pride, but it was also a great reminder for me that the work I put out is valued by others much more than I even realize, and that I should value it just as much.

As a part of our series about women who are shaking things up in their industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Gaines.

Jennifer is the Program Director at Alliance for Period Supplies where she helps to support a network of non-profit organizations working to end period poverty in the United States. She has a demonstrated strong commitment to serving diverse communities and has worked extensively over the last ten years, providing reproductive and sexual health education to youth and adults in underserved communities. Jennifer served as Planned Parenthood Global Ambassador in 2016, traveling to several reproductive and sexual health NGOs within Kenya, Africa and leading the expansion of both youth initiatives and behavioral health at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. She is a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University with a B.S. degree in public health and health promotion and most importantly, a proud wife and mother of two beautiful boys.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

I always knew that I wanted to help people, particularly within the communities I grew up in since I witnessed too many people struggling just to get by. I wasn’t entirely sure how I would help or what I wanted to do as a career exactly, so I thought going into the clinical field would be the way to go. That didn’t work out and after switching majors from Nursing to Public Health Education, I really found a place where both my passion to help people and acquired professional skills married perfectly together to help the most vulnerable people in underserved communities.

One of the most rewarding parts of my journey was volunteering at a summer camp for three years, serving inner city youth. It was then that I realized my true passion for supporting young people from my similar background and empowering them to realize their full potential, regardless of where they come from.

I ended up finding my “perfect job” leading the development and expansion of a youth development program at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England in Connecticut. For nearly 10 years I worked with the most amazing young people, living in impoverished and low resourced communities, building relationships with them and educating them on all topics relating to healthy sexuality and youth development skills. Over the years, I heard so many of their personal stories on the many adversaries they faced in life and how they wanted to break generational cycles. It was a really unique position to be in because although the focus of the program was to help support and educate them on leading healthy sexual and reproductive lives, they were so comfortable with me to open up about other things. I was grateful for the opportunity to help support and mentor these young people, especially because they were all from the same places I grew up. Representation is super important!

Now working with the Alliance for Period Supplies, I have the most amazing opportunity to engage with so many leaders across the country doing similar work in their communities to help people most in need, especially in need of basic necessities like diapers and period products.

Can you tell our readers what it is about the work you’re doing that’s disruptive?

Period poverty is a key public health crisis we aren’t talking enough about, yet it is causing a tremendous physical and emotional impact on people in need. Period poverty is defined as inadequate access to menstrual products, and the Alliance for Period Supplies is committed to ensuring that individuals in need have access to essential period products to participate fully in daily life.

The Alliance for Period Supplies is an initiative of the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization recognized as the foremost authority on diaper need in America. NDBN leads a national movement aimed at meeting the basic needs of individuals in need.

Launched in May 2018, with the support of founding sponsor U by Kotex®, the Alliance for Period Supplies is comprised of Allied Programs across the country that collect, warehouse and distribute menstrual/period supplies in local communities.

The work we are doing raises awareness of the millions of people living in poverty who lack access to period supplies. We support the nationwide development and expansion of community-based period supply initiatives, distribute period supplies and funding to community partners and advocate for legislative changes to make period supplies more accessible and affordable, regardless of income.

We see this work as “disruptive,” because we are not only tasked with supporting those in need, but also with changing the perception of periods to eliminate the stigma that allows for period poverty to exist.

Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you first started? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

It wasn’t so funny back then, but when I was first starting out as a sexual health educator, part of my job was to attend community health fairs and hand out educational brochures on healthy sexuality and free swag (including condoms). On my way to one of these events, the cart that held all my supplies broke open and a bag full of condoms fell right onto the middle of the sidewalk. I was so embarrassed and quickly tried to cover it up so that people walking by wouldn’t notice what was on the ground and I would be humiliated. What I learned after that moment was that I shouldn’t be embarrassed about what I was doing there and rather use a moment like that as a teaching opportunity to educate others about the importance of why I was there. This funny moment sticks with me to this day and is a reminder that I should always be brave and willing to educate and empower others on topics that may be seen as taboo or largely stigmatized.

We all need a little help along the journey. Who have been some of your mentors? Can you share a story about how they made an impact?

Firstly, I have to be honest and say that along most of my career journey, there weren’t many professional mentors that I could look up to. Many of them I could not relate to or they just did not represent who I was. I wanted to be sure to say that because I never realized how much representation really matters until later and if I can change that for any young professionals in this field today, especially for my own children, that would be powerful.

One mentor that sticks out to me earlier on in my journey was a Latina woman who founded an organization to promote the health and well-being of the Latino community and other disenfranchised populations through education, prevention, care, and advocacy. It was my first experience in the nonprofit world, and I learned a tremendous amount about program development, strategic planning, donor relations and HIV/AIDS related programming. I was not used to seeing a Latina woman in such a high, respected role, so for me that was really inspiring.

Another impactful mentor for me was a woman I worked alongside during my first years at Planned Parenthood. I started off working in a comprehensive screening program for medically underserved women in the community. She welcomed me with open arms and taught me so much about the community and the ins and outs of the program. Our relationship grew outside of work and her mentorship about life in general is still so impactful for me. It’s interesting because she is much older than I am but I truly admire her as a close friend.

Also, luckily for me, growing up I had many teachers, family members and neighbors who helped make me who I am today. I drew a lot of my strength, resilience and tenacity from my mother, grandmothers, stepmother and various other women in my life that taught me how to be bold, unapologetic, and independent in everything that I do.

Most importantly, my greatest mentor has been my husband. He has supported me throughout my entire journey (we’ve been together for 17 years) to follow my dreams and to never let anyone stop me. Everything he has accomplished through adversary and hard work is truly an inspiration to me.

Can you share 3 of the best words of advice you’ve gotten along your journey? Please give a story or example for each.

1. Never sell yourself short — This advice was given to me most recently. I have a terrible tendency to downplay my achievements or not put so much emphasis behind all the hard work I do and I’m really not sure where that comes from. I am a big believer that actions speak louder than words, so I think a lot of my energy goes to making action opposed to talking about it. I was recently called out on it during a staff meeting after listing off all the projects I’m currently working on with a nonchalant approach. I really appreciated the call out because it was not only a great boost of confidence for approaching my work with more pride, but it was also a great reminder for me that the work I put out is valued by others much more than I even realize, and that I should value it just as much.
2. A dream without a plan is just a wish — This has always been my husband’s core advice for me. We’ve been together for a long time now and he knows just how much passion I have for my work and all the dreams I wish to accomplish (and there are still many). When I am not so focused on making certain dreams happen, he will always remind me that to get where I want to be in life, there will always be sacrifices to make and hard work to be done. If I don’t make the effort to plan for how I want to accomplish my dreams or put in the work, they are just as good as only a wish.
3. Your voice is powerful — Growing up in a Latina family, it was an unspoken thing to go along with what authoritative figures said to do. To respect your elders and not get into any trouble. For so long, that was a normal part of life until I started going against the grain a bit and speaking up for myself and the things I believe in. I remember during my high school graduation, my math teacher came up to me before walking out onto the field and said to me that he was incredibly proud of me and to never be afraid to use my voice because it was powerful. I never expected him to say that to me, so it always sticks with me.

We are sure you aren’t done. How are you going to shake things up next?

I’m working to combat the need that has significantly grown in the last year due to the pandemic. In a new study conducted by U by Kotex, research shows that two in five people have struggled to purchase period products, a 35% increase from the brand’s initial research in 2018.

The study also uncovered how period poverty is disproportionately impacting Black and Latina people, as well as the impacts of COVID-19 on the issue:

• A quarter of Black (23%) and Latina (24%) people with periods strongly agree that they’ve struggled to afford period products in the past year.
• 27% of all respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to access period products, with two-thirds (65%) of those who have struggled stating they lacked access because they could not afford them.
• Over one-third (38%) of low-income women report missing work, school or similar events due to lack of access to period supplies.3
• Nearly seven in ten (68%) people agree that period poverty is a public health issue, yet only 4% of Americans are aware of a local resource where free or reduced cost period supplies are available.3

We can end period poverty in the U.S. by increasing awareness of the issue, expanding community-based programs that help people in need, and advocating for changes in public policy. With the support of U by Kotex and our network of more than 110 nonprofit programs nationwide, we are making a difference in the lives of people impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as those who continue to struggle to afford the basic necessities they require to thrive.

Do you have a book/podcast/talk that’s had a deep impact on your thinking? Can you share a story with us?

Honestly, it depends on what mood I’m in when it comes to reading books and listening to podcasts. I am a huge Harry Potter fan, so I love getting lost and imagining a different, fantasy world. It feels like a good escape sometimes when you just need a break from life and helps me to refresh my mind from work-related things.

Typically, I go for self-help and motivational books, cooking books (particularly Puerto Rican and Latin foods) and podcasts that help build my confidence, leadership skills and overall mental well-being. I just recently bought “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World,” written by the Dalai Lama, so I’m looking forward to diving into that.

Not sure if this fits here, but I love to listen to a range of music genres like rap & hip hop, 90’s — 00’s hits, Spanish/reggaeton and smooth jazz. Artists have such a creative way in telling their stories through music and it has such a great impact on how I view the world and how I learn about the different journeys of what they’ve been through.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I have two, actually. The first is that “everything happens for a reason.” I truly believe that in life, good and bad things happen along the way and they do because they were meant to be for your life. I failed my test to renew my nurse aide certification after not using it for two years and I was really upset because that meant I couldn’t earn clinical hours for my nursing degree. But I changed course and went into public health instead, which ended up being the most amazing and rewarding path for me.

The second used to be that “you only live once,” but I saw something recently that challenged this thought by saying “you only die once but you live every day” and that changed my entire perspective on life to appreciate every day more than I ever did before.

How can our readers follow you online?

Readers can follow the Alliance for Period Supplies on Facebook (@AllianceForPeriodSupplies), Twitter (@periodsupplies) and Instagram (@periodsupplies). For more information and ways to support the Alliance for Period Supplies, visit UbyKotex.com or join the conversation online using the hashtags #WithUSheCan and #EndPeriodPoverty.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!