The Pan African Sisterhood Health Initiative (P.A.S.H.I.) makes reusable menstrual pads and carry pouches, which are donated to those in need locally, nationally and internationally. We are particularly interested in supporting school aged students who are missing school and other activities because they cannot afford menstrual hygiene products. Education around menstrual hygiene management, reproductive health, and life skills (such as how to make your own reusable menstrual hygiene product) goes hand in hand when we deliver pads and pouches.
P.A.S.H.I.-Moorestown – Working for Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability
In 2025 Moorestown Meeting initiated an exciting new outreach program. P.A.S.H.I.-Moorestown, an affiliate of the Pan African Sisterhood Health Initiative (P.A.S.H.I) sews reusable menstrual pads and carry pouches for girls and women throughout the world. As they sew to “support human dignity one reusable pad at a time,” P.A.S.H.I.-Moorestown is clearly working for social justice. At the same time, environmental justice and sustainability is happening.
Our outreach program was inspired by a feature story on the work of the Pan African Sisterhood Health Initiative in the Philadelphia Inquirer in the fall of 2024. When a group traveled to Africa and learned of communities where girls without menstrual hygiene products were regularly missing school every month, they got to work. Learning that disposable products are often not available or affordable they moved to sewing reusable fabric pads which can, with proper care, be used for years. Since its inception in 2019, P.A.S.H.I. has been sewing and delivering menstrual products to girls and women globally and in that time has given away more than 25,000 pads.
After reaching out to P.A.S.H.I. we invited them to come and speak to us about their work which they did at the rise of meeting on March 23, 2025. In May, Meeting members went to visit the open sewing sessions at P.A.S.H.I. in their north Philadelphia working space and on May 18, 2025, creation of the P.A.S.H.I.-Moorestown Working Group was approved by the Meeting. In June the Working Group, under the guidance of P.A.S.H.I., hosted a “train the trainer” workshop in pad production. With their advice we equipped a space in the Moorestown Meetinghouse with the supplies and equipment needed to do this important work.
On June 18 we began “Open Sewing” every Wednesday in our D’Olier Social Room, but it was clear that P.A.S.H.I.- Moorestown needed a permanent work area. That involved updating the electricity and HVAC in our second floor 1914 sewing room. Money was raised and it was decided that a wall split with a heat pump for both heating and cooling would be best for year-round use. This provided not only the AC needed but also a much more efficient heating system for the large room. Without this system we would need to use the gas fired furnace and heat more of the building than we needed. Our new energy efficient workspace welcomes sewists every Wednesday from 10 to 3.
In addition to the energy efficiency of our sewing room, the reusable pads and carry pouches themselves are sustainable and earth friendly. P.A.S.H.I.-Philadelphia was awarded the 2025 Environmental Justice Award by SustainPHL as one of the “changemakers who are moving the region towards a sustainable, equitable place” and P.A.S.H.I.-Moorestown has followed their lead, using donated fabric plus two specialty fabrics – one absorbent and one water repellant. The absorbent cotton is U.S. sourced, and dry processed without water, chorine, lotions, fragrances, parabens, phthalates or bamboo, and the water repellant fabric is U.S. sourced, plant-based polyurethane that is bonded with repeating heating and cooling (no chemical bonding agents).
P.A.S.H.I.-Moorestown meets regularly on Wednesdays from 10 am to 3 pm at the Moorestown Monthly Meetinghouse. All are welcome to join. No experience is necessary as training will be provided. We also welcome donations, either funds or fulfillment of our wish lists on our webpage. If you would like to “support human dignity one reusable pad at a time” join us at Moorestown Meeting any Wednesday and learn more about our latest outreach ministry.
This story, P.A.S.H.I.-Moorestown – Working for Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability, was written by Maria Esche.
More Information
P.A.S.H.I. Moorestown, an affliate of P.A.S.H.I Global, meets regularly on Wednesdays from 10 am to 3 pm at the Moorestown Meetinghouse to do this important work. All are welcome to join. No experience is necessary as training will be provided.
All supplies and travel expenses to distribute menstrual pads are provided through the generous donations of members, friends, and businesses. We welcome your support. Contributions to our work here at P.A.S.H.I. Moorestown can be made via our wish list, or through monetary gifts which will be used to purchase the supplies.
Donate today through our online giving portal with Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Please be sure to choose Moorestown Monthly Meeting from the drop-down menu and indicate P.A.S.H.I. in comment field when making your donation.
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