Period poverty is defined as having a lack of access to menstrual sanitary supplies due to financial constraints. As many as one in five girls have missed school because they did not have access to the proper supplies, according to a survey conducted by Always. A group of LHS students hopes to minimize period poverty in their community while having a little fun by hosting “period kit packing parties.”

Girl Up is a new club at LHS this year, run by junior Abbie DeKramer as president and senior Corrin Gillespie as vice president. 

The club hit the ground running with its first fundraiser in October. The club’s members sold Eileen’s cookie dough to their friends and family to raise money for supplies.

“We raised about $300 and plan to go to Costco over break to buy what we will put in the period kits,” said Gillespie.

The kits will include pads, tampons, sanitary wipes and underwear and will be put together in an assembly line fashion by club members during winter break.

“We plan on distributing them to the school restrooms and shelters,” said Gillespie.

The issue of period poverty is a societal problem that members of Girl Up are very passionate about..

“Many homeless women are being forced to use paper bags and socks because they just don’t have the money to afford pads. Many people may have to choose between using their last couple dollars on feeding their children or buying tampons and they have to choose their kids,” said Gillespie. “They shouldn’t have to make that decision.”