The Free Period Club, a club new to the school this year, held a “period product” drive in late October to provide free feminine hygiene products in the school bathrooms.
The drive brought in “over 400 liners, 390 pads, and 300 tampons,” co-founder and junior Sydney Lin said. “It is a necessity for everyone to be able to access period products in order for us to succeed in school.”
The proceeds are being used to stock the school’s gender-neutral and women’s bathrooms. Lin said the club plans “to have boxes in the bathrooms starting right after [Thanksgiving] break,” but noted the club will continue to rely on donations to keep the bathrooms stocked.
The club also partnered with Brandwein’s Bagels for a fundraiser held on November 2, with the bagel shop donating proceeds to the club, Lin said.
Sophomore Gina Barberio, who is not a member of the club, said that the Free Period club is doing “super important,” work, adding that ”feminine products in general are considered a luxury and super expensive, so sometimes it’s useful to have aid if needed, and we should keep supporting it [the club].”
Lin stressed that anyone in the school is welcome to help in the club’s efforts and join in on the meetings.
“One of the easiest and most helpful ways for others to get involved is by helping participate in our drives and fundraisers,” Lin said.
The club’s co-founder, junior Elise Chang, said that the Free Period Club eventually hopes to provide a similar service to other schools in the district, especially middle schools “that feed into” Chapel Hill High School.
Both Lin and Chang got involved not only to combat a “heavily stigmatized” culture around words like “period,” “menstruation,” “pad” and “tampon,” but also to take on “period poverty.”
Period poverty occurs when “a student cannot afford the period products they need,” Chang said. “Having products readily available in bathrooms eliminates the potential anxiety of having to ask.”
Club advisor and French teacher Christen Campbell said that she is “really proud” of the club’s leaders for taking “tangible steps to making menstrual products available.”
Campbell also praised the discussions club members have had, as well as the awareness their efforts have sparked within the school.
“Having a space to discuss and advocate for what our body’s biological mechanics does has been paramount,” Campbell said.
