Donating feminine hygiene supplies through Food Bank (photo via @FoodBank4NYC)

The nearly one million women and girls living below the federal poverty level in New York City are often forced to make impossible sacrifices when it comes to their basic needs. Limited budgets mean having to choose between purchasing essentials, like feminine care and household products, and paying for other necessities, like rent and food. 

The cost of these feminine care products adds up. On average, women between the ages of 12 and 54 buy approximately 250 feminine

City Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland (photo: William Alatriste) 

Members of the New York City Council are poised to introduce a package of legislation to make tampons and other feminine hygiene products more accessible. The legislation, being spearheaded by Council Member Julissa Ferreras-Copeland, includes a resolution calling on the state to eliminate the tax on feminine hygiene products, and three bills to make such products readily available