For people who menstruate, buying hygiene products are essential, but not everyone can afford them. The cheapest box of pads I could find at my local Wal-Mart was about $5.00. Doing some quick math, at that price pads would cost someone about $60.00 per year at minimum. Even that is too expensive for the young people Sharon Chambers-Gordon serves.
“We've heard of girls using socks. They're rolling their underwear to make due as a pad," Chambers-Gordon said.
Not having access to these products is called "period poverty." One 2021 survey found 1 in 5 American teens struggled to afford period products and 4 in 5 teens have "either missed class time or know a classmate who missed class time because they did not have access to period products.”
“People are really surprised that here we are, in our own front yards, kids don’t have what they need” for basic hygiene care, Chambers-Gordon said. That goes beyond menstrual products to include things like toothbrushes and toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and deodorant. “Those things that we just take for granted. But some kids don't even have a bar of soap to refresh themselves,” she said.
Chambers-Gordon has seen the emotional impact of this issue, too. When her daughter was in middle school, she came home one day and told Chambers-Gordon about a trio of girls that none of the other kids wanted to play with.
"I said to her, ‘Do you know why?’ And she said, ‘Because they didn't smell so good.’ And a light bulb went off in my head," Chambers-Gordon said.
She founded the organization Raising Girls to fight against period poverty and hygiene insecurity among school-aged children. It’s one of the few organizations in the state focused on the issue. She and a group of volunteers pack care bags and drop them off at schools and community centers throughout Pierce County.
At a recent packing party volunteers stuffed about 200 discreet red, blue, and black bags with a two month supply of hygiene items, for people who menstruate and for those who don’t.
“Once we started delivering care bags in about February of 2017, we dropped some off at Hilltop Heritage Middle School, and the ladies at the front office said, ‘What about the boys? They need deodorant!,’ Chambers-Gordon said. “So that equity piece is also very important for us.”
The bags are cute, too. In addition to products, the kits come with a smaller bag to carry menstrual products in, nail polish and hair ties, and often a handwritten inspirational note with words of encouragement. The bags cost about $25 to fill; Chambers-Gordon says the cost is covered by donations and grants. Over the year, Raising Girls will deliver thousands of them. They are currently partnered with 86 schools and counting.
“When the rubber meets the road, it's important to understand that we have to stretch programs like this,” said Alecia Cunningham, volunteer, and executive director of youth development organization Becoming A Man (BAM) - Seattle. “You have to meet them where they are. So, I really love this, I think it’s giving back in the most intentional way.”
There's a broader movement underway to address the issue across the country. In Washington, schools, colleges, and universities are currently required to provide menstrual products to students at no-cost in all girl’s and gender-neutral bathrooms. The bill was signed into law in 2021 and took effect this school year. Schools are able to use grants to cover the cost and partner with organizations like Raising Girls to be in compliance with the law.
Raising Girls continues to see demand from more schools and has plans to expand beyond Pierce County, north to Federal Way and south to Olympia. Chambers-Gordon says helping students in this way is her life's work.
"I cry a lot. Tears of joy... because I know that we are making a difference in the lives of young people," she said. “I have a full heart every single day knowing that the work we're doing is positively impacting so many in our community."
An impact that she said will influence the rest of their lives.
