The Story of Period Equity Alliance Society
Article included on behalf of Joanne Bernard, Chair of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Period Equity Alliance Society (PEAS) didn’t begin with a strategic plan or a funding model. It began in 2009 with one woman, with a deep sense of responsibility. That is when Missy Searl began collecting personal care items and distributing them to individuals and shelters across Nova Scotia. Donations were gathered informally, often through social media, and delivered directly from her home. The work was informal, personal, and entirely driven by care.
Everything changed in 2020.
As COVID-19 restrictions tightened, shelters were forced to limit the types of products they could accept. Many personal care items were no longer permitted. Searl pivoted quickly, narrowing her focus to essentials that were urgently needed and still allowable: menstrual products and toilet paper. That shift revealed something profound. The demand wasn’t temporary—and it wasn’t small.
What started as a practical adjustment became a calling.
By 2022, the work had expanded beyond distribution into collaborative, community-driven action. Through a partnership with HFX Wanderers FC, United Way and the Together For Change IDEA Committee, Searl helped launch a Period Poverty Campaign bringing visibility into a unique space (a soccer stadium). The campaign led to an ongoing relationship with Derek Martin, owner of HFX Wanderers FC, and later with Aruna Revolution (2025). Together, they took an unprecedented step: stocking compostable menstrual products in every porta potty at the Wanderers Grounds; making access barrier-free.
In 2024, encouraged by her friends, Searl formally incorporated Period Equity Alliance Society as a nonprofit organization. This step enabled PEAS to pursue sustainable funding and scale its impact beyond personal networks. Since incorporation, the organization has secured support from the South Eastern Community Health Board, Nova Scotia Status of Women, Tribe Network, Aruna Revolution, and the Youth Climate Action Fund; demonstrating growing confidence from both public and private sector partners.
Today, PEAS provides Dignity Bags (put together by Board members and community volunteers) and menstrual products to schools, food banks, shelters, community spaces, and individuals across Nova Scotia. Requests often come through Schools Plus workers, social workers, MPs, teachers, or as direct outreach via social media or email. The organization’s delivery model prioritizes discretion, and respect, recognizing that accessibility must also protect dignity.
PEAS’ mission is clear: to end period poverty and stigma by ensuring equitable, barrier-free access to menstrual products. Their vision goes further – imagining a future where menstrual care is affordable, safe, and recognized as essential to health and participation in daily life.
Beyond distribution, PEAS facilitates menstrual health workshops and shows up where conversations matter. From International Women’s Day Events with the Delmore Buddy Daye Centre and the Centre for Women in Business, to engaging more than 200 youth at the Uncover Your Essence conference, to community gatherings like the NS Sisterhood Pap Party and a booth at the Wanderers Grounds. Being in these spaces reinforces their mission.
In 2025, Searl’s leadership was recognized, winning Business Leader of the Year at the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, nominated as one of the 2026 – 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women, and named as Aruna Revolution’s 2025 Revolutionist of the Year. For her, success isn’t measured in awards, it’s measured in impact, making the world safer, fairer, and more dignified for her granddaughters, and for other people’s grandchildren.
Access is the starting point. Now, PEAS is asking the next question: can we make menstrual products not only barrier-free, but cheaper, and safer for everyone? One box, one partnership, and one community at a time.
Learn how you can help at: @periodequityalliance or periodequityalliance@gmail.com.
