On the Camas Prairie in north central Idaho sits the small town of Cottonwood. It is just west of U.S. 95 between Grangeville and Lewiston.
Heading north, you might have seen the most famous Cottonwood landmark -- the Dog Bark Park Inn!
Our Days for Girls teammate, Carol, has a sister, Cheri, who works at the Prairie Junior/Senior High. In the past it has been Cheri who buys pads and tampons out of her own pocket, which she keeps stocked in her desk, to give to those girls who know to come to her if they need product. Knowing her sister is involved in Days for Girls, and after seeing containers in the Lewiston high school bathrooms, Cheri asked if they could implement a pilot program. YES!
Our team sent a container filled with period products,
signage, a "tips" brochure for a successful pilot and a big box of period products to get Cheri started so the Cottonwood school girls can have product IN their bathroom -- where they need it.
From Cheri: "I know our junior high girls like having these a lot. Because they are way more embarrassed to ask for the product (than those in senior high)...some of them get caught totally unaware. I have actually had mothers call me to let me know that the container in the bathroom is empty because their daughters have called them and were too embarrassed to come to the office so I just made sure that I fill them right away so the girls could go back to the bathroom and get them."
It doesn't matter the size of the school. We will put pilot programs in any school that shows an interest. However, it is often the smaller rural schools that are more affected by the lack of period products. Currently we have pilot programs in 7 rural schools with appointments to meet with 4 more this coming week.
Our strategy? One school at a time. That is how we will prove to Idaho legislators that providing free period products IN school bathrooms are keeping our girls IN class and IN school and learning.
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