What started out as a simple English assignment, from Ms. Simpson, turned into a major drive centered in helping homeless women receive the menstrual hygiene care they need. Students,  Michelle Raygoza, Lauryn Morris, Lauren Lopez, Yalett Reveles, and Mary Babia began the drive on Wed., April 5.   

It began when Ms. Simpson assigned the passion project to her English 11 students to help them become the change they wanted to see in the world. Students were told to pick a topic they felt passionate about and do something about it. The main focus on the topic were the women who could not afford these products.

“It branched out into us getting to know the harsh realities of women of the homeless population of LA and how they have to deal the struggles of being on their period and not having supplies,” Lauryn Morris, 11, said.

Lauren Lopez, 11, a member of this project expressed her thoughts on homelessness and the struggles of personal hygiene care.

“It’s very sad for the women that use plastic bags and chip bags and towels as their feminine supplies,” Lopez said, “and as to us we get to use tampons and pads and we are very fortunate to have that and we want to share to the people that can’t afford that type of stuff.”

These five students started off with the topic of the pink tax, which deals with the issue that tampons and pads are taxed and how men’s products and how women are paid less than men. It then evolved into a major drive when Yalett Reveles, 11,  got in contact with the organization, 4 Women Ovary Where.

“I feel like all I’m doing was organizing the event. It’s the students who are really making this happen so we should all feel proud of making a difference,” Reveles said. “I just want to say thank you to all the students that donated and for more students to please donate. One pad or tampon can help a homeless woman have a comfortable period. #PowerforPeriods.”

 
The girls will continue collecting things such as pantyliners, tampons, pads, feminine wipes and soap bars until Friday, April 28. All donations can be brought to Ms. Simpson’s room: A205. The Women Ovary Where is an organization that collects and makes packs of pads, tampons, pantyliners, feminine wipes and soap bars in order to donate them to the homeless population of Los Angeles. The goal is to reach 1,000 of each product and so far they have exceeded their goal for pads and tampons and are close to reaching their goal for the rest of the products.