Partnership with period equity group to advance menstrual health amongst northern Indigenous Communities across Canada

BRAMPTON, ON, May 28, 2024 – Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health (SFWH) – the charitable arm of Shoppers Drug Mart^® – has committed an additional $500,000 to extend its partnership with Moon Time Connections (MTC), Canada’s only national Indigenous-led period equity organization. Delivered over two years, this funding will accelerate MTC’s programming and ability to support menstruators across Turtle Island with vital menstrual education and access to much-needed period products.

“We’re incredibly grateful to both Shoppers Drug Mart^® and Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health for allocating additional funding to ensure we can continue reaching remote and northern Indigenous menstruators with much-needed support,” said Nicole White, founder of Moon Time Connections. “This funding will allow MTC to continue offering our new Moon Time Facilitator training program, which Indigenizes menstrual education and empowers Community with vital and culturally relevant resources, while also supporting us with product distribution.”

Since the start of 2024, Moon Time Connections has already received over 90 new requests for period products from Community across the country; nearly half of the total number of requests that the organization received in 2022 and 2023 combined. MTC has already formed deep relationships with and supports more than 160 Indigenous Communities in all three territories and seven provinces across the country.

“While one in five menstruators in Canada struggle to afford essential menstrual products¹, there is a massive and growing need for support in remote Indigenous communities where recent research conducted by Moon Time Connections uncovered that a staggering 74 per cent of menstruators sometimes or always face issues accessing period products²,” ¹ said Paulette Minard, Director of Community Investment at Shoppers Drug Mart^®. “Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health is committed to making a difference in the advancement of menstrual equity across Canada by supporting the incredible work being done by our partners at Moon Time Connections.”

Since 2022, Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health has donated nearly $1.3M in funds and supplies to increase access to menstrual products and care for all women and gender diverse people across Canada through partnerships with Moon Time Connections as well as organizations such as The Period Purse, The Journey Neighbourhood Centre Brampton, Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters, BC Society of Transition Houses, Spruce Grove Public Library and more. In addition to the work of its charitable arm to further menstrual education and product accessibility, Shoppers Drug Mart^® donated 14 million period care products in 2023 to schools in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan so menstruators can access necessary care while continuing to attend class. Additionally, Shoppers’ donations are received by shelters providing accessible period care products to some of Canada’s most vulnerable women.

To learn more about the work of Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health^TM, please visit: ShoppersFoundation.ca(Open in a new tab).

To learn more about Moon Time Connections, please visit: TrueNorthAid.ca(Open in a new tab).

For media inquiries, please contact: pr@loblaw.ca(Open in a new tab) or mtcmedia@truenorthaid.ca(Open in a new tab).

About Moon Time Connections

Moon Time Connections (formerly Moon Time Sisters) is a flagship project of True North Aid, and is Canada’s only national Indigenous-led period equity organization. MTC began its work supplying 1 school board and 1 Community with pads and tampons. As of today, Moon Time Connections is a national organization supplying a full spectrum of period products and vital menstrual education to more than 160 Indigenous Communities in all 3 territories and 7 provinces of Canada. MTC has shipped over 4 million menstrual products to Indigenous menstruators from coast to coast to coast since 2017.

About Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health^TM 

Shoppers Foundation for Women’s Health– the charitable arm of Shoppers Drug Mart^® - is committed to helping Canadian women lead healthier lives, by making care more equitable and accessible. The Foundation will invest $50M by 2026 to address some of the most pressing health inequities facing women, including lack of representation in health research, barriers to accessing mental healthcare, and the urgent consequences women disproportionately face due to poverty and domestic violence. Learn more at ShoppersFoundation.ca(Open in a new tab).

About Shoppers Drug Mart^® Inc.

Shoppers Drug Mart^® Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing. The company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart^® (Pharmaprix^® in Québec). With more than 1,300 Shoppers Drug Mart^® and Pharmaprix^® stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada. The company also licenses or owns 70 medical clinic pharmacies operating under the name Shoppers Simply Pharmacy^® (Pharmaprix Simplement Santé^® in Québec). As well, the company owns and operates 43 corporate Wellwise by Shoppers Drug Mart^TM stores and an ecommerce site Wellwise.ca, making it the largest Canadian retailer of home health care products and services. In addition to its retail store network, the company owns Shoppers Drug Mart Specialty Health Network Inc., a provider of specialty drug distribution, pharmacy and comprehensive patient support services, MediSystem Inc., a provider of pharmaceutical products and services to long-term care facilities and Lifemark Health Group, Canada’s leading provider of outpatient physiotherapy, massage therapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic, mental health, and other ancillary rehabilitation services. Shoppers Drug Mart is an independent operating division of Loblaw Companies Limited.

¹ https://www.canada.ca/en/women-gender-equality/funding/menstrual-equity-fund.html(Open in a new tab)

² https://truenorthaid.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/An-Assessment-of-Menstrual-Related-Needs-in-Northern-Communities-FINAL.pdf(Open in a new tab)