Period poverty is a challenge many young women face in silence, but a new initiative from I Am My Sister aims to make sure local girls have access to the menstrual products they need year-round.
The Glen Cove-based nonprofit, founded by Lela Watson, is launching its HER Box program on July 1. HER, which stands for Health Essential Resources, is a free monthly subscription service that delivers menstrual products and other wellness items directly to girls’ homes at no cost.
The idea grew out of advocacy efforts by members of the I Am My Sister club at Glen Cove High School, who successfully pushed for menstrual products to be made available in student bathrooms rather than only through the nurse’s office.
“Some years ago, there was a huge push to make sure that period poverty was addressed,” Watson said. “In New York, every school is required by law to provide menstrual products to students.”
While access improved within the school building, Watson and club members began discussing what happens when students are away from school.
“What happens with these girls in the evenings, if their cycle comes? What happens on weekends, and really what happens during the summer when they do not have access to the nurse’s office or the bathrooms in the school?” Watson said.
Those conversations led to the development of the HER Box program, which Watson described as a way to fill a gap while preserving dignity and providing support.
“We wanted to do it in a way that was going to maintain their dignity, give them access to their resources and still be a support system via a sisterhood,” she said.
Participants who enroll will receive a monthly package containing either sanitary pads or tampons, depending on their preference. Tampon recipients will also receive panty liners. The boxes will include feminine wipes, health information, period trackers and handwritten affirmation cards intended to provide encouragement and support.
Watson said the organization decided to move the launch date up from the fall because of growing concerns about affordability.
“Because the cost of living has gone up and people are struggling with the cost of gas and food going up, we’re really concerned about access to care and resources in the summertime,” she said.
According to Watson, the program costs roughly $10 per month per participant, including supplies, packaging and mailing costs. She hopes community donations and sponsorships will help sustain and expand the initiative.
The effort has already received support from former Congressman Tom Suozzi, who contributed $1,000 to help launch the summer program and pledged to connect the organization with potential donors and product suppliers.
In a statement to the Herald, Betsy Davidson, Suozzi’s press secretary, said, “It’s important that all of our students have the essentials they need and deserve to live a healthy lifestyle.”
Victoria Franco, assistant principal at Glen Cove High School and adviser to the I Am My Sister club, said students played a critical role in identifying the need and advocating for change.
“We had a meeting and some of our girls talked about how the feminine hygiene products were only available at the nurse’s office,” Franco said. “It definitely created barriers for students who needed immediate or discrete access.”
Working alongside school administrators and custodial staff, students successfully advocated for the installation of feminine hygiene product dispensers in student bathrooms throughout the school.
“The girls are really making a change,” Franco said. “They advocated for change in our school, and now we’re looking to expand access even further.”
The HER Box program is open to girls up to high school age, including younger students who may have already begun menstruating. Organizers say enrollment will be confidential, with products delivered discreetly to participants’ homes.
Watson hopes the initiative not only provides essential supplies, but also sparks greater awareness of period poverty and the challenges families face.
