TAMPA, Fla. — On average, a woman will spend thousands of dollars in her lifetime on period products.

More than 500 million women lack access to menstrual products, according to the World Bank.

Bree Wallace checks to see if anything needs restocking inside a bright pink box three times a week.

“We are just making sure it has everything it needs - pads of different sizes, tampons of different sizes, heating pads, menstrual cups,” she said.

She founded the Tampa Period Pantry in July and already she’s established three locations, beginning with Seminole Heights.

“The area of Seminole Heights has a pretty high homeless rate, so I did think this would be a good place to start it, where people would need it the most in this area,” Wallace said.

Everything inside the box is free. Women can come and take whatever they need. Wallace decided to start the project because of the number of women without adequate access to menstrual products.

“We are putting some up in women’s community centers. After that, we are hoping to get some up at the churches,” she said.

Wallace does all of this in addition to having a full-time job.

“I grew up in a single-parent household, just me and my mom,” she said. “She always made sure that I knew that the most important thing in the community was helping other people.”

Wallace stays busy collecting supplies, so she started an online wishlist, and that’s led to lots of deliveries. She credits social media, where she’s reached hundreds of people in just weeks.

“I got all of this in two weeks,” she said. “I’ve seen the first one so far be cleared out every week, so a lot of people are taking the products, a lot of people are talking about it.”

Wallace is hoping to have 10 locations open by the end of the year.

“I do think it is helping people and people are learning about the resource and spreading it to people who might need it,” she said.

Raising awareness, and at the same time, helping women in her community.

Residents that are interested in helping the cause can purchase from the Amazon wishlist, and can also donate supplies by dropping them off inside one of the pink period pantries.