Statewide initiative kicks off in May to mobilize volunteers and expand access to essential menstrual products
DENVER (April 23, 2025) — PeriodPalooza, a statewide initiative launching this May, is helping to support Colorado students and schools with the implementation of House Bill 24-1164, which ensures Colorado middle and high school students have access to free period products in all female and gender-neutral bathrooms. Hosted by Justice Necessary, PeriodPalooza features five volunteer-driven events across the state with an unprecedented goal of packing and distributing more than 2 million menstrual products for students who face barriers to education due to a lack of access to essential care items.
The events, taking place in Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Pueblo, Grand Junction and Metro Denver, aims to bring together more than 1,900 volunteers from across the state to assemble one-month period care kits for local students. Each event will also serve as the distribution point for schools and organizations receiving period products and dispensers through Justice Necessary’s Menstrual Product Grant, expanding the reach and impact of this effort even further. Justice Necessary will be awarding 1,371 dispensers and more than 2.5 million pads and tampons to 460 schools from 87 cities across all 5 regions of Colorado through these combined efforts.
“When 80% of Colorado students who experience periods miss class due to lack of access to period products, we took action — partnering with legislators and stakeholders to pass a law. But passing a law isn’t enough. Real change comes from putting policy into practice,” said Diana Cushman Neal, Founder and President of Justice Necessary “We launched PeriodPalooza across Colorado to bring communities and schools together to pack and distribute over 2.5 million period products — helping us do the work to ensure students have what they need to stay in school. But these events aren’t just about packing products; they’re about raising awareness of the barriers students face and reminding us all that access to period products, just is necessary.”
The data that Cushman Neal cites, taken from studies conducted by Justice Necessary over the past three years, shows that an increasing number of Colorado students have experienced gaps in their education due to lack of period products. The studies also demonstrate that 90 percent of Colorado teens have started their period unexpectedly in public without access to the supplies they need, while 66 percent have been unable to take part in extracurriculars like sports or clubs.
PeriodPalooza events will take place in the following cities:
- Colorado Springs — Thursday, May 2 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Colorado Springs Hilton Garden Inn North
- Fort Collins — Monday, May 5 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Fort Collins Hilton Garden Inn
- Pueblo — Wednesday, May 7 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Pueblo Convention Center
- Grand Junction — Saturday, May 10 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Grand Junction Holiday Inn & Suites
- Denver — Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24, from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m each day, Sheraton Denver Tech Center
The events are seeking volunteers ages 12 and up for two-hour shifts throughout the day, offering a vibrant, music-filled, community-driven atmosphere in which to pack and distribute one-month period care kits. No experience is required. To register as a volunteer or make a donation, visit www.justicenecessary.org.
###
ABOUT JUSTICE NECESSARY
Founded in 2021 by Diane Cushman Neal, Justice Necessary is a Colorado nonprofit dedicated to combating period poverty and hygiene poverty in Colorado communities. Justice Necessary works throughout Colorado to deliver essential hygiene products to address immediate needs, while also focusing on community engagement, continuity of products, education, and legislative support. Since its inception, Justice Necessary has provided more than 5,170,000 organic period products and more than 275,000 eco-friendly diapers and wipes, as well as over 325,000 other personal and household hygiene products. Learn more at justicenecessary.org.
