"Girls, how far would you go to score a "sanitary napkin"

So, it's that time of the month, and I have no money to buy a much needed product. I'm outside and J., (whose drunk and in a wheelchair) and Studley are out front. I sit with them for 20 min. but J.'s getting mean drunk toward Studley, so I leave; but before I leave, here is what transpired........

J. wants "Studley" (the one who says I have "da baddest walk in baltimore") to walk to "Brick-Wall" and buy him some mints. Studley refuses. I tell J. I will, if he gives me an extra 4 bucks so I can buy an emergency item. J. says: "I can buy my own damn mints" (I'll take that as a no) which I think comes from his drunkeness not so much his soul, as he's a real good person.

Studley says:" I'll give you a few bucks tomorrow to buy your emer. item, can it wait?" I thought, if he says tomorrow, it will never happen. And it didn't. I've never asked anyone in my bldg. for money, but sometimes Studley buys me a candy bar out of the vending machine,that's as far as it goes.

I walk down to the food pantry the next morning and ask if they have any sanitary napkins on hand. (Most food pantries have toiletries for the poor) No, they say.

A high school girl comes into the room where we are waiting for food and says she is doing a research project for Loyola College on how people search for work. She'll give us a 5 dollar gift card for Super Fresh or Rite Aide if we take the survey. I realize that this is my big chance. So, my 10 page survey on "job hunting" bought me my emerg. product from Rite Aide. (And if you don't think running to food pantries is hard work, you've got another thing coming.)

Used to be that Johns Hopkins University provided women with free sanitary napkins in the restrooms, but not anymore. (Extreme poverty teaches you exactly where to look for what you need) Before scoring the 5 dollar gift card, I had to brainstorm on where I could score what I needed. It occurred to me that when I go to my physical therapy appt. at the hospital, I can ask them if they have any emer. products. Surely they can give me one or two at least. I'm sure a hospital would have to keep stuff like that on hand.........................

So, a year ago I would have been too embarrassed to post this, but I'm not embarrassed to be poor, and this posting is about poverty, so why not post it?