You have probably already heard a lot about Period Club. Whether it be in the FG News Times (😉), at club rush, or during one of our many fundraisers, it’s kind of hard to miss a bunch of kids talking about tampons. Either way, I, the beautiful and talented vice president, am here to give you the lowdown: Explain what we do, why we do it, and how you could be a part of it. Keep in mind as I’m writing this I am holding back from putting smiley faces at the end of each sentence because, in case you haven’t noticed, I am extremely enthusiastic about this club.

Period Club fundraises to provide menstrual hygiene care packages to houseless women. Each care package includes 8 tampons, 8 pads, and 5 pantyliners; enough to get someone through one whole cycle. These products can be donated during drives or at any point in the year. Last year we ended up making many thank you cards for parents who made donations. We have also fundraised by selling holiday candy and animal grams, which was a lot of fun. Make sure to keep a lookout for future fundraising events.

When we’ve finished making the care packages, the next step is to distribute them. Since April, Period club has been regularly handing out care packages in Portland on the last Wednesday of every month with Farm to Folk. Started by Heather Monahan’s mom, Lise, and some people at the nearby farm, Gales Meadow, Farm to Folk provides a sit down dinner experience with farm fresh food. Going with them is a great experience because the whole night is dedicated to helping people. Being able to meet the people we work to help is my favorite part of Period Club. At first, going into Portland was a little scary. After all, we were a bunch of kids walking around in an unfamiliar neighborhood with a bunch of tampons. However, everyone we met was only grateful. We realized just how important the work we do in club was.

While we work to provide care packages to houseless women, another big part of Period Club is breaking the stigma surrounding periods. This can be on a small scale, like just talking candidly about our periods during club meetings, or a wider scale, like handing out tampons and pads during club rush. Let me tell you, if you’ve never shared period horror stories with a group of your buds– you should. It is super freeing to talk about your period, and bonus: super fun. We have also made it our mission to hold our tampons and pads in the broad daylight when making trips to the bathroom. In Period Club, we don’t uncomfortably hide it in our sleeves. Really, Period Club is breaking the stigma with everything we do. Every announcement, flyer, and fundraiser that gets our name out is slowly chipping away a broader issue of menstrual inequity. We try to be as blunt about it as possible. I mean, during our spring drive, our poster said “MENSTRUATION STATION” in big, red, glittery letters.

Breaking the stigma is so important to us because it directly correlates to the access people have to adequate menstrual hygiene products. Many women’s shelters don’t get government funding for pads and tampons, like they do for food, making it even harder for people to get access to these necessary items. And, if you’ve ever had a period, you’d know they are necessary. When they barely have money for food, and shelters don’t provide pads or tampons, what are they supposed to do? Period. is one of just a few organizations that is working to alleviate this problem. Without adequate menstrual products, people are forced to use things like toilet paper, paper towels, and even paper bags to try to get the job done. Not only is this dangerous because of the high risk of infections, it’s also incredibly demeaning. Everyone has the right to feel comfortable when they’re on their period, despite the norm of feeling ashamed. Thirty-six states still tax tampons as luxury goods. This “tampon tax” means that feminine hygiene products, like pads and tampons, still have sales tax applied to them. Necessary goods, like food, medicine, and clothes are often exempt from sales tax, however our predominantly male legislation has decided tampons are not a necessity. LAME! This is why we need to be talking about periods: when we can actually have a conversation without being grossed out we can ensure that everyone has what they need.

I may be biased, but Period Club is one of the best clubs I’ve gotten to be a part of. There is something very special about being able to see the work you do directly help members of your community. Also, we’re just a fun bunch of kids! We’ve made so many inside jokes, shared so many laughs, and have made so many memories with people we probably wouldn’t have known otherwise. This is my favorite thing about every single club at Forest Grove High School. Plus, our group chat is super lit.

If reading about menstrual inequity has you FIRED UP, you can always join Period Club! We meet Thursdays after school in Ms. Dixon’s room, from 3:15-4:20. If a big commitment isn’t really what you’re looking for, you can always come to our packaging parties that happen every few months (stay posted!).