Where Can I Get Free Period Products in Anne Arundel County?

If you are searching for free period products near me, you are not alone. You should not have to choose between menstrual products and food, transportation, medication, or housing.

This guide lists free or low-barrier places to find pads, tampons, and other menstrual hygiene products in Anne Arundel County. You do not need to feel embarrassed. Anyone can need help with period products.

If you need products today, start here

Try one of these three options first:

  1. Visit any Anne Arundel County Public Library branch. Free menstrual products are available in public restrooms through dispensers and containers. You do not need to ask staff.
  2. Call The Period Pantry at 410-714-5507. We can help connect you with available products and local distribution points.
  3. Call 2-1-1 or text your ZIP code to 898-211. Ask for free period products, feminine hygiene products, or menstrual hygiene products assistance in Anne Arundel County.

Hours, availability, and locations can change. Call ahead when possible. We update this guide as we learn about changes.

1. Anne Arundel County Public Library branches

Anne Arundel County Public Library is one of the easiest places to start.

Every AACPL branch provides free menstrual products in public restrooms. Products may be available in installed dispensers or containers. You do not need to ask a staff member, complete a form, or explain your situation.

The library designed this system to reduce barriers, especially for young people who may feel uncomfortable asking for pads or tampons.

Availability can vary by branch. Supplies are stocked as donations and grant funds allow. If a restroom dispenser is empty, report it to library staff so it can be restocked.

Discoveries: The Library at the Mall

The Library at the Mall in Annapolis does not have a public restroom. Instead, it operates a Community Pantry with free:

  • Pads
  • Tampons
  • Incontinence supplies
  • Diapers
  • Wipes
  • Baby soap
  • Baby shampoo

The pantry depends on community donations and grant funds. Supplies may vary, but you can visit and take the items you need.

2. The Period Pantry

The Period Pantry provides free menstrual products with no questions asked.

Our Pasadena hub is open for product drop-offs and pick-ups:

We distribute products through:

  • Donation stations hosted by businesses and community groups
  • Hosted period pantries
  • Care Closet stations in Anne Arundel County elementary schools
  • Shelters and community organizations
  • Community partnerships

A hosted period pantry is a permanent, accessible place where people can take free products when they need them.

The Period Pantry works with organizations including Arundel House of Hope, YWCA of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, Baltimore Safe Haven, My Sister’s Place, House of Ruth, and SPARC Women’s Center.

If you cannot get to a distribution point, contact The Period Pantry or call 410-714-5507. We will help identify available options.

3. Public schools in Anne Arundel County

Maryland law passed in 2021 requires county boards of education to ensure public schools provide menstrual hygiene products at no charge to students through restroom dispensers.

The requirement was phased in:

  • At least two women’s restrooms in each public middle and high school by October 1, 2022
  • All women’s restrooms by August 1, 2025

SB 307, passed during the 2026 legislative session, requires county boards of education to ensure school dispensers are regularly restocked. An empty dispenser is not meaningful access.

If a dispenser is empty, ask a school nurse, counselor, or front office for help. Students should be able to receive products without being shamed or required to pay.

The Period Pantry also supports Care Closet stations in Anne Arundel County elementary schools.

4. ACAN in Severna Park

ACAN provides food and basic necessities to Anne Arundel County residents.

You can ask for feminine hygiene products and incontinence products at the intake table. You do not have to wait for someone to offer them.

ACAN also operates a food pantry and a baby pantry. Inventory changes, so no specific product is guaranteed. Registration is required for the baby pantry, and the baby pantry is not offered on-site.

Call ACAN before traveling if you need to confirm current availability or service details.

5. The Light House in Annapolis

The Light House operates the Safe Harbour Resource Center at:

10 Hudson Street
Annapolis, MD 21401

Safe Harbour provides:

  • Showers
  • Laundry
  • Basic-needs items
  • Personal hygiene items
  • Computer access

Current listed hours are:

  • Monday: 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday: 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday: Closed
  • Thursday: 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
  • Friday: 8:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Call:

  • Safe Harbour Resource Center: 410-263-1835
  • Shelter screening by phone: 410-417-7260
  • Main office: 410-349-5056

Hours and services have changed before and may change again. Call ahead if you are traveling to The Light House and ask specifically about personal hygiene items or period products.

6. Anne Arundel County Food Bank pantry map

Use the Anne Arundel County Food Bank Pantry Map to find nearby food pantries, baby pantries, and soup kitchens.

Many local pantries also carry hygiene items when supplies are available. The map includes a downloadable pantry list and location information.

Call the pantry before visiting. Ask specifically:

“Do you have free pads or tampons available this week?”

Food pantries may have hygiene products even when they are not listed on their main service page.

7. Arundel House of Hope community resources

Arundel House of Hope’s community resources page lists local assistance for housing, homelessness, food, behavioral health, transportation, domestic violence, and other needs.

This can be useful if you need more than period products. The page includes links to local shelters, food resources, crisis services, and general assistance programs.

8. Maryland 211

Call 2-1-1 or text your ZIP code to 898-211.

Maryland 211 connects people with local assistance, including:

  • Period products
  • Personal hygiene supplies
  • Food
  • Housing support
  • Transportation
  • Health services
  • Domestic violence resources
  • Substance use support

Tell the operator that you need free period products in Anne Arundel County. You can also ask for help finding a period pantry or menstrual hygiene products assistance.

For mental health or substance use support, press 1 when calling 211.

What to expect when you ask

Most places on this list are designed to reduce barriers.

You usually do not need:

  • Proof of income
  • A referral
  • A diagnosis
  • A detailed explanation
  • Payment
  • A reason that feels “serious enough”

Some locations may require registration for specific services, such as a baby pantry. That does not mean you need to prove that you deserve menstrual products.

You can simply say:

“I need pads or tampons. Do you have any available?”

If you feel embarrassed, remember that needing period products is normal. People need help because of rising costs, lost work, unexpected expenses, housing changes, family responsibilities, or a gap between paychecks.

This list is for students, parents, people between paychecks, people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence survivors, people in recovery, and anyone who cannot afford products this month.

Anyone can experience period poverty.

Period poverty rose from 35% in 2023 to 42% in late 2025-roughly 2 in 5 people. One in four Maryland students struggles to afford menstrual products. In Anne Arundel County, roughly one in three households falls below the ALICE threshold, meaning they are employed but cannot cover basic needs.

Menstrual products are not covered by SNAP, WIC, or Medicaid. Food pantries and clothing closets often serve the same households but may not have menstrual products. That is why local access points matter.

If you are in an unsafe situation

If you are fleeing domestic violence or living with abuse, you deserve access to products without putting yourself at greater risk.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7:

Use a safe device whenever possible. Internet and phone activity may be monitored. Clear your browser history if it is safe to do so.

Leaving can be the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship. Consider contacting an advocate before making plans, if doing so is safe.

The Period Pantry assembles H.O.P.E. Kits for people fleeing domestic violence. These emergency period and hygiene kits are shipped nationwide to all 50 states. To ask about support, call 410-714-5507 or contact The Period Pantry online.

How to help

You can help expand access to free period products in Anne Arundel County.

Choose an option:

If you host a period pantry, The Period Pantry can help you set up a permanent, accessible location where people take products when they need them.

You can also ask local businesses, schools, and libraries to stock free period products. If a resource listed here has changed, tell The Period Pantry so we can keep this guide accurate.

No one should have to go without menstrual products. Ask for what you need. You do not have to explain yourself.