Dignity Grows, the project of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland’s Women’s Philanthropy devoted to providing menstrual and basic hygiene supplies to those who need them most, is gearing up for a new year of new opportunities for volunteers.

Kicking off with a volunteer social in late July, the group is hosting its first packing party of its fall-to-spring calendar on Aug. 17 in a new location – Vancouver, Wash.

“It’s an opportunity to expand programming into Vancouver both for Dignity Grows and for the Federation as a whole,” Federation Volunteer Coordinator Merit Pinker explained. “We know that there is a really vibrant Jewish community there and we want to make sure that they feel included in the services that we offer.”

The Vancouver packing party also marks the first event for Dignity Grows’ newest distribution partner, Washington’s Educational Service District 112. Washington’s ESDs are regional entities that provide resources to educators and districts as well as direct support programs for the most vulnerable students and their families. ESD 112 covers more than 99,000 students across 30 school districts – as well as private and state-operated schools – in southwest Washington. An administrator with the ESD came to a Dignity Grows packing party last year, and a connection has blossomed from there.

“Merit, Wendy [Kahn, the Federation’s Chief Development Officer] and I had a chance to tour ESD 112, learn about their services, and see the facilities. They are doing such creative, innovative, needed work and results that they’re seeing are wild,” Dignity Grows chair Arielle Goranson said. “It’s amazing to be able to be connected in some small way to an organization doing that.”

“ESD 112 is a first-of-its-kind model for other ESDs around the nation because it works with students experiencing mental health issues and behavioral problems that are affecting their ability to perform in the classroom and brings them to an environment specifically designed to deal with those problems and then get them back into a traditional school environment as soon as they’re ready,” Pinker added. “They are going to start distributing our packs in their school, both for their students who have started to menstruate and find that they are unable to access products, and also for the family members of those students because we know that they are experiencing period poverty as well and the school is one of the places where they can find resources.”

Previous Dignity Grows participants will also notice a new feel to this year’s events. While the basic task of placing supplies into tote bags remains the same, the activities surrounding that work are getting a refresh to appeal to veteran packers and newcomers alike.

“We are trying to switch up the way that our packs run so that we are always presenting new information in a fun way,” Pinker said. “There’s a chance for everybody who attends, whether new or returning, to learn something new and engage with the content in a different way.”

“People seem to really enjoy engaging with the distribution partners and understanding where these totes are having impact. We love that,” Goranson said. “We love new volunteers. We love volunteers who were here years ago and maybe they’ve stepped away and now we’re able to invite them back. One of the ways we think that that we can facilitate this is by mixing up how the packs kind of feel every time.”

It’s just one of the reasons that Portland’s Dignity Grows chapter has become a recognized leader nationally – including being selected to moderate a discussion session at the National Summit on Period Poverty this October in Atlanta. Goranson will be traveling to the conference representing Portland’s chapter.

“An opportunity came up for us to not only to attend and have representation at the national summit, but also to lead some of the conversations,” she said. “I’m really excited to do that and excited to learn.”

“It’s a big deal for her. She’s going to be in front of not just leaders of other Dignity Grows chapters, but nonprofits who are addressing this issue nationwide,” Pinker said of Goranson. “Researchers, politicians, you name it.”

Registration for the Vancouver packing party, scheduled for 10:30 am on Sunday, Aug. 17, is now open. For more information and to sign up, visit jewishportland.org/dignitygrowspackaugust.