ELORA – A group of students is working to make feminine hygiene products more accessible to women in the community by creating awareness around period poverty.
A new initiative at Elora Public School, dubbed “1 Box,” is collecting donations of menstrual products including pads, tampons or new menstrual cups to support Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.
Grade 8 students Charlotte Warne, Gwen Casselli and Morgan Gemmell are the faces behind the new initiative, which stemmed from the school’s Student’s Create Change club.
“It’s an opportunity for students to make a positive difference in our community,” Warne explained.
“So there have already been some other initiatives started [through Student’s Create Change], but this is one of the bigger ones that have gotten more recognition throughout our community.”
The initiative corresponds with International Women’s Day on March 8.
“We want to normalize conversations about periods,” Casselli explained.
So what is period poverty?
“It’s basically when somebody who might not have enough money to afford feminine products, use it, like who lives on the streets, or might just not have the money to buy the necessities,” Gemmell explained.
“It would be like they would be using a sock or toilet paper from a public bathroom, instead of a feminine product, like a pad or tampon or a menstrual cup if they can’t afford the cost of the product.”
With this initiative, Casselli explained, they’ve been able to circulate it on social media, making it easier to spread awareness throughout the community.
Michelle Youngblood, a teacher at the school, said the initiative is also helping to bring more awareness to the other levels of poverty that people may not think about or draw as much attention to.
“When we think about poverty, we tend to think about homes or food, food and shelter are the main two main things that come up when we have conversations about poverty,” she explained.
“And so this is just bringing awareness to the fact that there are so many layers to poverty that we might not know about and that menstruation happens for all women and girls.
“And yet, we don’t consider the fact that the products are quite expensive, and some people might not be able to afford those.”
The school is collecting donations of menstrual products including pads, tampons, or new menstrual cups to support Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. Submitted photo
Not only do they have the girls at school involved in the initiative, but the trio also wanted to welcome boys in their school to donate, Warne explained.
“They obviously have important woman that they love in their life,” she said. “So supporting them would be really important.”
For those looking to donate, there’s a box located outside the main entrance of the school where items can be dropped off.
Youngblood said the response has been great thus far.
The girls noted they’ve collected around 50 boxes so far. Donations will also be accepted over the weekend and into next week. The final day to drop donations off is March 9.
“We want people to donate and realize that there are women who are in poverty and period poverty, who don’t get the things that you may get,” Gemmell explained.
“Sometimes we’ll take it for granted,” she added.
“Especially because my mom can get those things pretty easily for me, but there’s some people that can’t get them, so we definitely use them as a luxury.”
Seeing the students take what they’re learning and apply it to a real-life situation is “incredible,” Youngblood explained.
“This is a prime example of how students are using what they’re learning about social justice issues and conversations we have,” she said.
“And then taking it to look around them and make a positive contribution to the community, which is what education is all about.”
“It feels really great,” Warne said of taking on the initiative.
“It makes you feel more like a part of the community and that you’re doing something good.”
