Prairie High School students launch first annual Her Drive

Jan. 13, 2022

Some students at Prairie High School are hoping to bring in donations for SHARE Vancouver and raise awareness of a sometimes awkward topic: feminine hygiene.

Malina Pham and Melody Brizuela

Juniors Malina Pham (left) and Melody Brizuela show off donations brought in so far in the school’s first Her Drive

“I feel like there’s still this stigma attached to periods,” said Melody Brizuela, a junior and president of the school’s Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) chapter. “Like, you have to sneak a pad to your friend or something.” 

Brizuela was approached by fellow junior Malina Pham, who had seen a feminine hygiene product drive known as Her Drive, on social media. Her Drive was started by a Chicago-based nonprofit in June of 2020 and has since spread to high schools around the country.

“I hope Her Drive helps start a conversation about the struggle a lot of girls have,” Pham said.  “Both with the stigma surrounding women’s reproductive cycles, but also the cost involved with all of the necessary hygiene supplies.”

Some of the male students in Melissa Levine’s Health Sciences class volunteered to help, then quickly discovered how overwhelming the world of feminine hygiene products can be.

“It’s this entire aisle in the store with all different kinds,” Pham said, “and not a lot of people know what to get or even how to use it. Those are some of the things we hope to bring awareness to with this drive.”

On Monday, the first day of the Her Drive, students had already collected a full box of donations. They set up a table during lunch where students and staff can bring boxes of tampons, pads and underwear, as well as lightly used bras and other toiletries. There’s also a sign-up sheet for a blood drive that HOSA is hosting on Jan. 28 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

“It shouldn’t be a privilege to be able to afford these kinds of products,” Pham said. “People need it. Everyone should be able to afford period products regardless of age and income.”

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