ROCKVILLE, Md. — As Ukrainian women and girls flee their home country, many likely haven't packed everything they need, so a Maryland group is sending them supplies that are often forgotten -- feminine products.
“When people are, like fleeing for their lives. And they're like fleeing from bullets and fighting a war, you don't need to fight your period," Dana Marlowe said.
That's a battle her group I Support the Girls in Rockville wants to fight for them.
They have committed to sending 100,000 feminine products to the Ukraine-Poland border by next week to help refugees.
Marlowe originally founded the group back in 2015 when she went to a mall boutique to donate bras she didn't need anymore.
"They said, well, homeless women need bras. And those four words have led us here in such a magnanimous way. Because people just jumped on board and said, You know what, it's not just bras and new underwear that women and girls need. They really need menstrual hygiene products too. And they're often [forgotten] about," she said.
Marlowe said you can't use food stamps to buy feminine products, and they're often not a budgetary line item for shelters and organizations.
RELATED: 'Periods are not stopping for pandemics' | Coronavirus increases demand for feminine products
Now six years later, she said they've donated more than 17 million products to over 3,500 vetted social service agencies.
This time, they're shipping internationally.
“Just provide a little bit of dignity, when it feels like life is crumbling," Marlowe said.
The donations have been rolling in all week -- including some from Silver Spring resident Polly Selenski.
“I wish we could do more. I wish the country would do more," Selenski said. "But you can only do what you can do. And this will be great.”
Selenski said she has Ukrainian heritage, and so do many of the women in the group who collected the donations she dropped off Thursday.
I Support the Girls is shoring up boxes, bags, and bins of reinforcements.
“Because periods don't stop for war," Marlowe said.
They're answering the call to arms.
The group is looking for everything from pads to underwear to money for shipping costs.
Find more info on how to donate here.