Period Poverty in Houston
For our third year we are partnering with Houston Independent School District (HISD) on Girls Should Be in School…Period!, a period positive campaign that addresses “period poverty” as well as the stigmas and shame that surround menstruation, and we need your help.
Over 78% of HISD students are economically disadvantaged and many HISD families struggle to pay for period products, while some simply can’t afford to purchase them at all. We want to encourage regular student attendance by removing the barriers young menstruating women face through the distribution of period supplies that permit them to attend school comfortably.
For 2023 we are assembling 90 period preparedness kits for middle school girls. The kits will include a variety of regular and reusable sanitary pads, junior-sized period underwear, panty liners, and heating pads, and they will be delivered to school in October. Read on to learn how you can support this initiative!
“Meeting the hygiene needs of all adolescent girls is a fundamental issue of human rights, dignity, and public health.” – Sanjay Wijesekera, former UNICEF Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Our greatest need is supplies! The more we gather, the more girls we can support. Our goal is to create 90 period preparedness kits, which will include regular and reusable sanitary pads, junior-sized period underwear, heating pads, and panty liners, all available for purchase on the Amazon wishlist below.
Make a tax-deductible donation to go directly toward purchasing supplies for period preparedness kits and/or provide additional sanitary products to the school nurse for any girls who need them. Just think: $50 will provide a full period preparedness kit for one girl.
**Members Only** Join hands to compile period preparedness kits with the supplies generously donated by members and friends.
Write positive affirmations to accompany the hygiene products in each kit, reminding young women at Forest Brook Middle School that menstruation is a natural part of female life and that Impact100 Houston and HISD are invested in their health and well-being. (Mail to Impact100 Houston, 2726 Bissonnet Street, Ste. 240-434, Houston, TX 77005) View suggested quotes and affirmations here.