Periods. Tampons. Pads. Feminine hygiene wipes. All “dirty” words. Words that hold stigma, embarrassment, shame, and a cultural component. It’s something often not discussed but it’s time to talk about a need often being unmet.

It’s been referred to as “Period Poverty”. Girls and women going without feminine hygiene products. Specifically girls in school going without. Many girls would rather miss class than go to school menstruating if they lack access to these products. School counselors here in Anderson County have said that they have at least 2-3 students each month skipping multiple days due to lack of access to hygiene products. 

A study completed in 2020 found one in five school ages girls between the ages 13-19 couldn’t afford to purchase feminine hygiene products. One in five. That means one in five girls feel the shame and embarrassment of not being able to take care of their own personal needs. They fear standing up after sitting through class. They make-shift pads with toilet paper just to get through the day. 

This need has gone unmet for so long but no more. It is unacceptable for girls to go without their basic needs. 

While this idea has been on our radar for years, we were never able to get a solution fully off the ground. When one school during the pandemic asked us to help get hygiene products to include with food pick-ups, we knew it was time to work on a solution. 

While so many women were cleaning out closets and reorganizing during covid, we asked a simple question: “will you donate your lightly used makeup bags?” That question was answered with hundreds of bags, and #WTF bags were born.

“I had been making bags for my teenage daughters and their friends for several years with old make-up bags. I always included a piece of chocolate and a little note” says Naomi, United Way Director, “the responses from those kids sometimes brought me to tears. To them, it is so much more than just supplies, it’s the knowledge that someone cares deeply enough to make sure they have everything they need in an emergency. What better way to show care and love to every girl in Anderson County than to provide them with one of these bags” 

We put out the call for donations and this community delivered in a BIG way. THOUSANDS of tampons, pads, feminine hygiene wipes, bags, chocolate and underwear were donated.

We made and distributed almost a thousand bags full of products for girls in middle and high school in Anderson County. 

Almost a thousand bags were assembled and delivered to 5 schools in Anderson County which served as pilot programs to finalize best practices. This fall we will roll this initiative out to every single middle and high school throughout the entire county.

These bags are so much more than simply period products. What many women take for granted is dignity and respect for these girls at a vulnerable time. This small effort allows girls to be comfortable and proud.

Thank you to all that donated and volunteered! This couldn’t have happened without you!

Committee: Judi Gray, Nancy Kile, Liz Bonner, Altrusa Club of Oak Ridge, First United Methodist Church, Breakfast Rotary of Oak Ridge.