FAQ

I Support the Girls (ISTG) is a registered nonprofit which collects donations of new/used bras and new sealed packages of tampons and maxi pads and distributes them to girls and women experiencing homelessness.

Started by one woman in the basement of her home in Maryland, ISTG is now a global movement, with affiliates across the United States and globe.

One woman: Dana Marlowe. A business owner, mother, loser of weight (plays a pivotal role in how ISTG came about). I Support the Girls is Dana’s “passion project”- what keeps her up at night and moving during the day.

Dana’s personal efforts have led to ISTG expanding across North America and worldwide. Because one person can make a BIG difference in the lives of thousands.

Dignity is dignity.

For the 216,000 girls and women experiencing homelessness across the U.S., bras and menstrual hygiene products are considered a luxury. Some women on the streets wear the same bra for eight years. This means more than occasional back pain from the lack of support her stretched-out underwire offers. It also means the potential for infection from the material continuously rubbing against her skin, not to mention the daily embarrassment of a sagging, ill-fitting bra.

Every day thousands of girls and women have to choose between a meal or buying maxi pads. We strip away any last remaining shreds of dignity when we force women to clean their periods each month with unwashed rags, or a wad of rolled up toilet paper- really, whatever is around that’s free and available.

Our mission is to allow these girls and women to maintain their dignity and self-respect.

Over the last seven years, ISTG has…

• established 51 affiliates across the U.S. and internationally
• collected and distributed over 30,000,000 products
• helped over 4,500,000 people (women and girls experiencing homelessness, victims of domestic violence, victims of sex trafficking, refugees, evacuees affected by natural disasters, and more)
• worked with over 4,900 vetted donation partners (homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, refugee resettlement homes, foster care agencies, LGBTQ agencies, homes for pregnant teens and more)
• partnered with more than 1,500 businesses and corporations to organize drives and collections and receive in-kind donations. Partners include: Procter & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, the City of Chicago, Spotify, Marriott, LOLA, Warby Parker, Lowe’s, Nordstrom’s, SOMA and Kimberly-Clark.
• been featured in national and local media over 2,000 times, providing an opportunity for our team to advocate for the rights of women experiencing homelessness and raise awareness about women’s dignity and health. Outlets include: The Kelly Clarkson Show, The New York Times, AP, NPR, Washington Post, USA Today, AJ+, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Newsweek and Yahoo News.
• distributed 800,000 menstrual hygiene products to high school students, to keep girls in school when they have their period
• distributed 750,000 products to evacuees of hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters

There are a number of donation options:

• Check our locations to find a donation site near you
• If shipping via USPS, mail products to:

I Support the Girls
Attn: Dana Marlowe
P.O. Box 2736
Wheaton, Maryland 20915

If shipping products via UPS or FedEx, please mail products to:
I Support the Girls
Attn: Dana Marlowe
11431 Amherst Avenue
#2736
Silver Spring, MD
20915

Please note that this is NOT a public drop-off location but only available for shipping.

We accept any kind of bra, gently used or new, in good condition.

A bra is defined as gently used if you would give it to a sister or girlfriend. We want it laundered with no tears, rips, or problems with the clasps/hooks. We do not accept ones with underwire poking out, visible tears in the fabric, or metal clasps broken.

Regular bras, underwire bras, sports bras, training bras, maternity bras, nursing bras, lacy bras, cotton bras, satiny bras, binders and everything in between.

All sizes accepted from training bras to custom made, extremely large bras.

Yes, as long as they are unused and individually sealed or in a sealed box.

Any brand or size as long as they are individually sealed.

Yes, please tape up the box or package with all the individually sealed items inside.

The best product with the most impact would be overnight maxi pads with wings.

We happily accept new sealed cups, which we can distribute.

Yes! As long as it’s new in package or with tags.

While we acknowledge the environmental impact of the products we distribute, we are also very aware that each person prefers a specific product. Choice is the most important thing here and our goal is to provide people with a sense of normalcy and maintaining personal dignity.

We are happy to receive new underwear with tags or in original packaging! We are unable to accept underwear that has ever been worn.

ISTG is a 501c3 within its parent organization, For the Girls, Inc., a national clearinghouse that provides guidelines, resources, and support to individuals and organizations to assist in collecting bras and menstrual hygiene products to donate to homeless shelters for women in need.

Yes, you can. Please email info@isupportthegirls.org to request a tax receipt for a product donation. You will automatically receive one for a monetary donation.

There are a number of donation options:

1. Donate to your local affiliate. See our affiliate locations here.
2. If shipping products via USPS, mail them to:
   I Support the Girls
   P.O. Box 2736
   Silver Spring, Maryland 20915

If shipping products via UPS or FedEx, please mail products to:
I Support the Girls
Attn: Dana Marlowe
11431 Amherst Avenue
#2736
Silver Spring, MD
20915

Please note that this is NOT a public drop-off location but only available for shipping.

Click here to donate online

Checks should be made out to For The Girls, Inc. You can mail checks to:

I Support the Girls
P.O. Box 2736
Silver Spring, Maryland 20915

Your first period can be scary, unexpected, and unexplained. The experience is different for everyone, but having a period is a shared experience that is natural and powerful. Understanding what’s happening in your body can help you prepare for that first time without fear, and ensure that you can have a more positive and shame-free experience.

Our team highly recommends the Lola guide accessed by clicking ‘free digital guide’ here. Or, you can click here to download directly. Yes, this is long. And full of important information. It can be shared, or read together. You can print out or bookmark pages that speak to you or explain new things. Most importantly, use it as a springboard for conversation and erase the stigma of inquiring or discovering more about our body’s natural movements and cycles.