"Help women in need during their menstrual cycles."

With homelessness figures hitting an all-time high this year, one initiative is proving that small gestures can make a big difference. The Homeless Period Dublin was set up back in December 2016, however, as the homelessness crisis worsened, the need for help and resources grew, so in 2017, the organisation broadened its reach and changed its name to Homeless Period Ireland (HPI). The concept is simple – to help get much-needed feminine hygiene products to women who don’t have access to them. The initiative, which is not a charity and is 100% reliant on volunteers, works thanks to the donations brought by those volunteer drivers to Homeless Outreach Centres, Direct Provision Centres and Women's Refuges. HPI currently also operates a number of drop off points around the country, from Dublin to Cork, Meath to Galway, including the likes of Tropical Popical, Waxperts and select Bella Baby stores. Those who work to keep the initiative operating say they “hope to educate people about period poverty and the silent struggle of many women living in Ireland”. “Periods happen every month and unless you are experiencing it, it’s not at the forefront of people’s mind,” Claire Hunt from HPI told us. The initiative is hoping the government will follow the lead of those in Scotland with the introduction of a scheme that gives free sanitary products to women in need.