Students visiting Temple University’s Barnett Irvine Cherry Pantry will now find more than just food and essentials. Through a new partnership with the Philadelphia-based nonprofit No More Secrets: Mind Body Spirit Inc., the pantry now offers free menstrual products—an effort aimed at addressing a need that often goes unspoken.

The partnership builds on years of collaboration between CPH’s Allison R. Casola, PhD, MPH, and No More Secrets through community-based research and advocacy. “Period poverty is not having the right supplies, resources, knowledge, and environment to manage your menstrual cycle,” Casola said. “It’s a need anywhere there’s anybody who menstruates.”

The Cherry Pantry now serves as No More Secrets’ seventh campus “dot spot,” part of a growing network of sites designed to expand access to menstrual products and support. At Temple, students can access products at no cost, with the selection expected to continue expanding over time to meet a range of needs and preferences.

“It’s about having choice,” Casola said. “If you like pads, you should be able to access pads. If you like tampons, you should be able to access tampons. You shouldn’t be limited to whatever the cheapest option is.”

The partnership builds on No More Secrets’ broader work across the region, where the organization provides products, education, and community-based support through its network of campus and community sites. “Menstrual management is more than just products,” Casola said. “It’s having a safe space, having education, and being able to talk about what’s happening in your body without stigma.”

By bringing these resources into a familiar campus setting, Temple is taking a step toward normalizing those conversations and supporting student well-being in a tangible way. “Most people don’t even realize this is an issue,” Casola said. “Raising awareness is really the first step.”

Temple students can access menstrual products at the Barnett Irvine Cherry Pantry, located on the lower level of the Howard Gittis Student Center. Currently, the pantry is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.