Sacramento teens set sights on helping period poverty by collecting hygiene products

Menstruation is still mostly talked about in hushed tones, and not considered a suitable topic for polite conversation.

It’s just one more thing Gen Z has on its to-do list of things to change, and for very good reason. It’s a fact of life, and when we steer away from the subject we are contributing to a very real but unknown issue: period poverty. Period poverty refers to the lack of finances or access to buy menstruation products such as pads or tampons. Also there are other tolls menstruation may take such as missing work or school due to cramping, heavy bleeding or urinary tract infections from inadequate period hygiene.

Three Sacramento-area teens aim to change that. They’re running a drive to collect menstrual care, bras and general hygiene products for people in need. Viva Corless, 16; Ella Fodor, 15; and Jenna Yates, 15, met at Leonardo da Vinci School and have remained friends. Corless is now at Mira Loma High School and Fodor and Yates attend Christian Brothers.

They have teamed up with a new organization out of Chicago called Her Drive, which was started by three college-aged girls who recognized the public health issue of period poverty and wanted to help. They found the organization the way teens find anything: TikTok.

“I hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about it. I think after learning a lot more while doing this drive, it’s a really big problem and something that really should be addressed. I feel really grateful that I get to be part of helping and being a part of the solution,” said Fodor.

Not only do the hygiene products cost money, they are often taxed. For some people that means using products longer than recommended, which can lead to urinary tract infections or toxic shock syndrome. For some it might mean using products that are not meant for menstrual care like toilet paper or tissues. It can also be compounded by not having access to a place to practice safe hygiene.

Sometimes people have to choose between food and period care. The stigma surrounding menstruation, even though over half the population experiences it, often leads people to suffer in silence.

“It’s a necessity that’s completely overlooked,” Corless said. “People who have periods shouldn’t be forced to put getting food and water for their family over menstrual care, but sometimes they have to.”

“It’s not like we have a choice in whether you have a period or not,” Fodor said.

Though it’s different for everyone, the general recommendation is to change a tampon every four to eight hours. On average, menstruation lasts five to seven days each month. Using the recommendations and the average, it comes to around 20 tampons per menstrual cycle. A box of 20 generic tampons sells for around $5. That means a minimum of $60 a year is spent on menstrual care. In California, period care products are not subject to sales tax, but that law expires in 2022.

The Her Drive organization assists people around the country in hosting their own drives. In order to help everyone efficiently, they spread out the drives so they can be more available to each group.

The Sacramento-area girls started their Sacramento drive March 13 and will continue through April 11.

“We’ve exceeded our goal, which was originally 2,000 period products,” Corless said.

The group had more than 3,000 items in less than two weeks.

The Her Drive organization has grown quickly since starting in June of last year. The organization has laid out a thorough blueprint for people to host their own drives. They offer guidance in planning, and do a couple of phone calls throughout the drive itself if hosts are having questions. They also use the Slack app to keep in contact.

After doing some research, Corless, Fodor, and Yates have chosen to give most of what they collect to WEAVE.

“It’s an organization that helps care for and provides housing for sexual assault survivors in Sacramento. Part of the goal of Her Drive is to focus on your local area. We put a lot of thought into where it was going to go,” Corless said.

Because the staffing is currently low at WEAVE, the group will not be able to accept everything from the drive, and the girls will find additional local organizations to help.

Response has been very positive, as this drive has brought about more awareness of period poverty.

“One thing I’ve learned is how much people want to help. If people see others doing something good for the community, they’re inspired,” said Corless, “It gives me hope in humanity.”

“I don’t think some people are very educated about this issue, but everyone who menstruates can really relate to it and understand it. That kind of empathy has helped a lot,” said Yates.

While they have learned a lot about period poverty and collected more than their goal already, the benefits of running this drive have been even greater for the three teens.

“I am in charge of communications and doing a lot of cold calling. At first it was kind of scary, but now I’m a lot more comfortable speaking with people and advocating for myself,” Corless said.

“I know from my experience, people are on your team. They want to help you. If you have a good cause, they want to do everything they can to make it happen. You just have to advocate for yourself and ask them to help you out,” said Yates.

Want to help?

If you are interested in learning more about their Her Drive, the girls have put together a promotional video on YouTube (shorturl.at/dowM9). They also have a wishlist set up on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3dhNLL0) where you can purchase items. They have also set up public dropoffs at the following locations:

Bel Air, 7465 Rush River Drive, Sacramento

Barrio Cafe, 1188 35th Ave, Sacramento

Starbucks, 1042 Florin Rd, Sacramento

5 Sips Coffee, 2104 11thh Ave, Sacramento