How to celebrate International Women’s Day? Invest in Women

Minnesota is at the epicenter of a national disturbance. On February 13, 2026, the City of Minneapolis released some financial statistics on the impact of that disturbance - the Operation Metro Surge (OMS). While called Metro, on the ground we know that Minneapolis wasn’t the only city hit. It hit St Paul, Columbia Heights, St. Peter, Marshall, Northern Minnesota, and beyond. We are using Minneapolis statistics because they are readily available, but remember as you read these that the reach and impact is far deeper than these numbers show. Here is what they report:

  • $47 million: lost wages for people afraid to leave home and go to work

  • $81 million: restaurant and small business revenue losses

  • $4.7 million: revenue from hotel cancellations extending through summer

  • 8,713: school-age children in need of services due to OMS 

  • $15.7 million: additional rent assistance needed due to lost household income since December 2025 

Those numbers impact everyone but with women trailing men by $.87 to the $1, we can make some assumptions on the impact on women. One way to celebrate International Women’s Day, if you are able, is to make a donation (financial or specific) to help the women and families hit hardest across the state. We have a few ways to do that in person or online.

Women’s March MN Hosting a Period Products Drive at A Bar of Their Own (ABOTO)

An estimated 2 in 5 menstruators in the U.S. struggle to purchase period products. Want to help? Bring in newly boxed pads, tampons, and pantiliners to A Bar of Their Own on International Women's Day (March 8)! Mobile Loaves Twin Cities will use these to create packs to distribute to members of our community in need. So please come visit us to drop off donations. Stick around to enjoy a beverage, delicious food, and women's sports all while supporting a woman-owned, local business!

Date: Sunday, March 8
Time: 11am to 8pm
Where: A Bar of Their Own, 2207 Franklin Avenue E, Minneapolis, MN 55404

Can’t make it to ABOTO on March 8? No worries! If you're not local and prefer to give directly to Mobile Loaves, you can make a financial donation online to their overall mission, which is to provide food, clothing, and dignity to our sisters and brothers in need.

Many thanks to A Bar of Their Own — a sports bar that features only women’s sports — for partnering as our drop-off location for this drive. ABOTO has received national attention and become a hub for sports lovers of all genders excited to watch women win!

Support a Local Women-Owned Business

According to a recent report, women are 50 percent of Minnesota’s population in 2021 but owned less than 20 percent of all employer businesses. Let’s help those people succeed. Find a local woman-owned business in your area and check them out. Buy their merchandise, eat at their restaurant, visit for a massage, or whatever makes sense based on the business. If you enjoy the service, let people know. Tell your friends. Post a review on Facebook, Google, or another online platform. 

Make an Online Donation to Support Unsheltered Women and Families

Homelessness doesn’t just happen during Operation Metro Surge or even just in the winter. People experience homelessness due to illness, after a divorce, because of fires or other disasters, a job loss, a detained partner, or any other number of reasons. If you are able to help lend a hand (or a dollar) please check out Cornerstone Advocacy Services. Cornerstone specializes in supporting people all over Minnesota who’ve experienced trauma as a result of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, or general crime.

Thank you for supporting women this International Women’s Day and throughout the year.

Ann Treacy