Three Huntley High School students hope to raise awareness for menstrual inequality with a period product drive

HUNTLEY — Neha Gopal, Sruthi Guda, and Krisha Sivakumar, students at Huntley High School (HHS), have partnered with the Huntley Area Public Library (HAPL) to host a period product drive to help raise awareness on menstrual inequality and period poverty.

The three HHS students worked together to launch a local health campaign focused on raising awareness of period poverty and improving access to menstrual education and products.

“Menstrual poverty is a huge health disparity in the U.S., but is, unfortunately, the most overlooked,” said Gopal in a press release statement. “I come from a culture where there’s a lot of stigma surrounding periods, and I feel like there was a significant lapse in my education and knowledge on the subject because I started my period in elementary school, so period dignity and product access [are] extremely important to me and the members of my group.”

Their current efforts include engaging with elementary and middle school students in their school district to raise awareness, ensuring that the product vending machines in their bathrooms and locker rooms are stocked, and working to raise funds and open collection boxes in the future.

The three students will be hosting a period product drive in collaboration with the HAPL to create menstrual hygiene kits, which will be distributed to local organizations such as Home of the Sparrow shelter in Woodstock.

Individuals were able to drop off period products (pads, tampons, wipes, etc.) at the library’s Information Desk until March 5.

On March 6, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Gopal, Guda, and Sivakumar will be hosting a volunteer event at HAPL, where patrons can learn about menstrual inequality and period poverty and help package the menstrual hygiene kits. Donations are also welcomed.

To register for the event, patrons can visit huntley.libnet.info/event/13008035. Interested individuals can also follow updates to the students’ project on their Instagram account @p3riod_proud.