Bloomington has joined the few cities in Indiana to offer a contraceptive vending machine to the public. The machine includes Plan B, condoms and menstruation products.
It’s located at the Gather Shoppe at the downtown square. All the resources are free and open to the public during the shop’s business hours.
Gather opens at 11 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday and it’s closed on Mondays. The shop closes at 4 p.m. on Sundays, 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and 9 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Organizers say the machine comes at a crucial time, amid national tension in reproductive care.
The machine was installed Monday and the supplies were stocked Wednesday. The store will have a launch party from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday.
Store associate Anna Halliday said she’s seeing excitement for the machine from customers.
“We're a women-owned, women-run business,” she said. “Having … all of these free items for people, like Plan B and tampons and condoms, super important to us.”
Local artist Sally Harless will paint and decorate the machine.
Statewide advocacy group Indiana Task Force launched the program in Indiana last year. The Bloomington machine is the third in the state. The first was in Indianapolis and the second in Lafayette.
Statewide coordinator Mack Pruitt with the Indiana Task Force said local efforts are filling a gap in state reproductive health resources.
“Whenever institutions and governments and people in charge fail us, we can keep us safe,” she said.
Pruitt said that emergency contraception is the most-vended item in the other two machines.
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Other organizations that assisted with the Bloomington installation included Hoosier Asian American Power and local food resource center Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.
Megan Betz, CEO and President of Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, said this idea was important to her because many of the items have become less accessible for those struggling financially.
“I think just seeing the demands for those products, and the number of requests we receive as folks check in to see if those are available, just demonstrate how much need there is,” Betz said.
She encourages people to spread the word about the vending machine and take what they need. She also wants to hear what else people want included.
“Share with your friends and help them learn about the machine,” she said. “You might not need it today, but you might need it next week or next month.”
The initiative began with the Midwest Access Coalition.
“We realized quickly how much of a need (there was for) these resources … but on a regular basis, something that people could rely on to be in a certain place at specific times,” said Walker Fitz, community and events coordinator for the Midwest Access Coalition.
The first machine was installed at the Dorothy bar in Chicago. The Coalition is looking to install the next machine in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Elyse Perry contributed reporting for this story.
