Wings is a nonprofit organization based in Baltimore that aims to improve menstrual hygiene and equity in the city. We provide free menstrual hygiene products to underprivileged members of the community, host educational workshops on menstrual, sexual, and women’s health, and offer more sustainable alternatives to single-use menstrual products. In doing so, Wings hopes to break the social shame, stigma, and silence around menstruation to ultimately uplift, enable, and empower those in our communities.

Wings was founded on March 8, 2018, International Women’s Day, by Chanel Lee and Bridget Chen, two undergraduate students at Johns Hopkins University. The organization is made up of a team of passionate volunteers and are partnered with several local community organizations dedicated to serving the Baltimore public.

The idea of making menstruation manageable and sustainable in Baltimore spurred from observing racial and socioeconomic inequalities in the city and the effects they can have on all aspects of life. In media headlines surrounding the big fight against homelessness and poverty, the focus is typically on the access to food and housing. What often gets overlooked in the process, however, is the importance of hygiene and health in a population that is severely underserved and underrepresented, especially of those that menstruate. Menstrual inequality is, in fact, a matter of wealth inequality, just like food disparity and homelessness are, and by not recognizing this as an concerning issue, society has failed to respond to the urgent needs of an entire subgroup of the disadvantaged population. Failing to give access to menstrual hygiene products predisposes menstruators to contracting a myriad of serious health complications and reproductive illnesses, perpetuates a menstrual taboo, and reinforces the idea that a person’s bodily needs should not be cared for. This ultimately can have serious implications on an individual's self-esteem, confidence, and body image, which may further discourage them from seeking educational and career opportunities, already restricted by their socioeconomic status.

To help bridge these disparities regarding access to menstrual products, Wings aims to supply clean and sustainable menstrual products for individuals facing socioeconomic barriers in the Baltimore area. In doing so, Wings hopes to not only provide valuable health necessities but also enable and lift up the community at large.

OUR TEAM

Chanel lee, cofounder

Hi there-- I graduated this past spring, with a Bachelor’s in Neuroscience and French. My hometown is Aldie, Virginia. I am a Pisces. Things I like to do include attending festivals and fairs, going to community events by nonprofits and CBOs, and trying out ethnic foods in Baltimore. The immense love I have for this city is how I got involved in this work of menstrual equity and activism in the first place. Some of my favorite bands include Hippo Campus and Los Campesinos!. I also enjoy listening to jazz and city pop.

bridget chen, cofounder

Hello! My name is Bridget and I graduated last fall with a Bachelor’s in Neuroscience and German. Originally I am from Michigan but I lived a few years in Stuttgart, Germany. As a true Libra, my aversion to imbalance certainly explains why inequity, like menstrual inequity, the tampon tax, or more generally the pink tax for that matter, makes my blood boil. If one were to catch me on my period, most likely they wouldn’t. If I had it my way, I’d be wrapped up in a comforter, at home, eating rice porridge, sipping tea, and watching cat videos or reliving the golden era of vines. But of course, the work for Wings--oh, and school-- calls. Some hobbies of mine include trying new foods, or trying not to forget to eat food, playing volleyball, finding and listening to new and inspiring music (Spotify’s “Discover Weekly”. Yes), and teaching organic chemistry.

Natalie Wang, CoPresident

Natalie Wang is a senior majoring in Neuroscience as well as Medicine, Science, and the Humanities. She grew up in Portland, Oregon. Natalie joined Wings because she was inspired by its culture of collaborative solidarity!

Anshula Nallapati, Copresident

Anshula Nallapati is a senior majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and minoring in psychology. She was born and raised in the suburbs of Detroit (the bottom right of the mitten)! She joined Wings because of it’s important mission to help fight inequity and spread awareness in our community.

,community director

,community director

Eileen Salazar Vega, campus outreach director

Kaiti Ness, educational outreach director

Hi! My name is Kaiti Ness and I am the current co-director of the Educational Outreach Committee. I became involved in wings my sophomore year because I was really interested in raising awareness and advocating for improving menstrual hygiene and equity in the Baltimore city and the Hopkins campus. I opted for a leadership position in the education committee because I wanted to address menstrual inequity through education and advocacy. Being in wings has really empowered me to speak about these social and health issues and end the stigma surrounding menstruation so that I can encourage others to do the same.

Pia Jain, educational outreach director

Laura Salem, sustainability director

, virtual programming coordinator

Rebecca Wu, Publicity Director

Rebecca is a freshman majoring in Biomedical Engineering from Maryland. She has grown up in Maryland all her life. Rebecca joined wings to raise awareness and advocate for menstrual equity and to spread awareness about the inequity that people who menstruate face.

Aya Igaki-Meader, Service coordinator

Senior
Majors: Public Health, Natural Sciences; Minor: Writing Sem
I joined Wings to promote menstrual equity on campus and throughout Baltimore. I’ve learned an incredible amount about menstruation, period poverty, and inequities, and it’s been an amazing experience to give back to the community!

Samantha Sarlin, Service coordinator

Vedanti Bhargava, secretary

Mackenzie Petersen, Treasurer