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Easing the burden of federal funding cuts across Massachusetts
Dignity Matters fast-tracks support for 750 more women and girls during a challenging time
At the start of 2025, our Board and Staff identified 3 goals for the year:
Support new partners in areas of Eastern Massachusetts where more need exists.
Expand west by deepening our footprint in Worcester County and supporting public school students in Springfield.
Provide more support (as resources allow) to current partners if we haven’t previously been able to meet their full need.
Our plan was to work towards these goals steadily, but it became clear in January that meeting the need in our communities would mean doing more – and doing it quickly.
Open Table in Maynard, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston and Dress for Success Boston received support for more women and girls from Dignity Matters this spring.
Dignity Matters supports women via 180 non-profit partners (including shelters, food pantries and schools), and most of them rely in some part on federal funds to operate. Over the last 2 months the resources they receive from the federal government have shrunk, and in some cases disappeared altogether – and the services they provide in their communities are at risk.
Rising costs, stock market fluctuations, and job losses due to economic uncertainty mean more people are living in poverty in our state. At the same time, the nonprofits they rely on are facing steep budget cuts and layoffs and struggling to keep their doors open.
To ease the burden on women in our communities and the nonprofits that serve them, we fast-tracked our plans for 2025 and are now providing free menstrual care to an additional 750 women each month. This includes:
275 women served by existing partners like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Open Table in Maynard, MassBay Community College, Dress for Success Boston, and Roxbury Community College.
475 women and girls served by 5 new partners across the state: Springfield Public Schools, Uncommon Threads in Lawrence, Catholic Charities of Worcester, The Little Free Pantry in Westborough, and Falmouth Service Center.
Free menstrual care from Dignity Matters for students at public schools.
In Springfield, we’re providing free menstrual care to 230 public school students each month. This is happening in collaboration with long-time partner Catie’s Closet, with whom we already support students at public schools in Boston, Lawrence, and Lowell.
The needs in this part of the state have always been great – but at the end of March, $46 million in federal funds for Springfield schools was eliminated. At a time when students reliable access to menstrual care is one barrier they don’t have to face.
Thanks to your support, the women and partners we help know they can count on Dignity Matters. Regardless of anything else happening in the world, they know we will deliver the menstrual care and undergarments they need, every time they need it, without fail.
Dignity Matters is 100% funded by philanthropic donations – we receive no state or federal support. Every item is given by our community or purchased with your support, and your donations are especially critical now. Thank you for ensuring women and girls can continue to live with dignity during this challenging time.