Lowcountry Headlines

Lowcountry Headlines

 

Homeless Period Project works to provide free hygiene products to students

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - More low country students will have free access to feminine hygiene products thanks to the Homeless Period Project.

The project provides free hygiene products to homeless shelters, churches, and schools.

The Homeless Period Project’s low country chapter president said its their goal to be in every low country school.

“The entire point of the homeless period project is to fill a need. and the need that we try to fill is to make sure that nobody goes without the products that they need in order to get through their menstrual cycle,” Melissa Soule said.

Soule said one in five students miss school on a regular basis because they lack access to menstrual hygiene products.

“That's an extreme number. Nobody should ever miss school because they don't have the products that they need to get through a normal biological function,” Soule said.

The project runs solely on donations and they have packing parties to pack the supplies to then deliver to the locations.

Anyone can then take the packs and can take as many as they need.

“Oh I think it's very important,” Angella Hamer said. Hamer is a nurse with the Charleston County School District. “You're looking out for the best interest of the child and making sure that they have all the things necessary for them to perform well in school. And if this is that one little thing that can them, make them be here and not be absent.”

Hamer said this allows students to have the resources to get the supplies without being embarrassed to ask for help.

The project currently works with 33 CCSD schools, all of the Berkeley County schools, and some schools in Dorchester Districts 2 and 4.

Soule said they want fewer girls to miss school because of the lack of access.

“It’s just a vicious cycle for kids in poverty and kids who are on the borderline,” Soule said. “We see more and more girls and women from middle class homes lately, then we have even from extreme poverty, because that's one of the one of the needs that can easily be passed along.”

Soule said no one should miss work or school because of a biological function.

Soule said it’s her goal to make sure the Homeless Period Project is in every CCSD school.

Copyright 2019 WCSC. All rights reserved.


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