Junior High classes donate to menstrual product drive

Mar 29, 2018 | 2:49 PM

After hearing about the Moon Time Sisters menstrual product drive recently, some Jonas Samson Junior High school students and their teachers wanted to get involved in the cause.

Teacher Annie Whittle said it was a great learning opportunity for her health class, and a positive lesson in helping others. Her class raised $125 and purchased over 40 boxes of feminine hygiene products.

“It was a chance for them to bring positive action into the community,” she said. “As soon as we presented to them and they realized girls [in the province] were missing school because they didn’t have feminine products, the students wanted to do something. They brainstormed some ideas for a fundraiser, and it was a series simple actions that we were able to make it happen.”

Another teacher, Leighton Chiverton, told his male students if they brought in 50 boxes of products, he would wear a dress for half a day. Whittle said they went above and beyond collecting 67 boxes, so Chiverton was clad in a dress until lunch hour today.

“The best part about the process was seeing how empowered they felt about participating in a small thing that make a big difference in someone else’s life,” Whittle said.

Mercedes Fiddler and Jordan Vandale said until their teachers talked about the issues in northern Saskatchewan, they didn’t know it was a problem. They said they knew it was important to do what they could to help.

“People were missing school because they didn’t have stuff,” Fiddler said.  

 “We sold popcorn and today was ‘hat day’, so we paid a dollar to be able to wear hats in school,” Vandale said. “It was for a good cause.”

Jillian Doucet, a staff member at Abundant Living Health Food store, said the staff was impressed with the local youth and their determination to assist with the campaign. The business is the drop-off site for the donation drive.

“It’s really great the turned it into a fun opportunity for their class,” Doucet said. “They’re normalizing something that happens every month, as much as it sucks for some people, it’s really difficult for some others who don’t have easy access to the products they need to make that time of the month a little more bearable.”

Doucet added the collection box now is up to over 200 items.

 

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca

On Twitter @ReporterKath