Millburn Teens In Monthly 'Period Club' Help The Needy

MILLBURN, NJ — Millburn High School has a Period Club, and yes, it does meet monthly (sometimes twice a month). But it's not like the group of angsty pre-teens in Judy Blume's "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret?" who just can't wait to grow up.

Rather, the group, founded in 2020, helps people in places from Newark to Nepal who can't get the feminine hygiene products they need.

While government programs and charities in the U.S. can help people who lack food, electricity, or housing, the need for menstrual supplies is sometimes overlooked.

"The Period Club is a group of dedicated students who aim to end menstrual inequity," explained junior Madison Trinchillo, a fundraising director of the club. "Menstrual inequity (a.k.a. period poverty) refers to a lack of access to sanitary products for managing menstrual bleeding, as well as inadequate access to toilets, hand washing receptacles, hygienic waste management, and menstruation education for all persons affected."

In some foreign villages, members noted, girls even miss school because they can't manage their periods.

"As a club, our goal is to spread awareness about period poverty to break the stigma surrounding menstruation," Trinchillo said. "We also raise money to provide products to those affected by period poverty and support legislation that would make products more accessible."

Earlier this year, the Period Club held a fundraiser in which they collected money and supplies. They created "period packages" which they donated to the local MEND Hunger Relief Network division at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Essex County.

In the end, 30 volunteers raised $600 and put together 441 period packages. Each period pack had 10-20 tampons/maxi pads, Chapstick, and a handwritten note.

(Here is the link to donate to the group.)

Now they're kicking off a project in Nepal.

In some villages, member Nisha Kurup said, periods are seen as "impure and shameful."

"Through research and conversations with the residents of Tanchok, Nepal, the group learned that many socio-economically poor women in the villages of Nepal have limited information on period health and difficulty accessing menstrual products," Kurup said. "Periods are seen as being impure and shameful, which is connected to the even more complex issues of cultural diversity and highly unequal caste structures."

It has an effect on education: "This stigma affects women and girls, causing them to have health problems, a sense of embarrassment, and even prevents them from doing everyday activities, like going to school."

As a way to help, the Period Chapter is reaching out to organizations and residents in the village to host an interactive training session for increasing knowledge on menstrual health and combating period stigma. The group will also raise money for reusable pads.

The club is also working with the school nurse and administrators at Millburn High to get free menstrual products at their school.

The local chapter of the Period Club was founded in August 2020 by Erika De Lesseps. Officers include Emily Chen, Nisha Kurup, Maya Gurung, and Madison Trinchillo.

Here is the link to the group's fundraising page.

Read These Recent Millburn School Stories:

• Millburn Superintendent Gives Back-To-School Details
• Eight Vie To Run For 3 Seats On Millburn School Board
• Other Millburn School Stories In 2021

Read about a period insecurity initiative undertaken by two recent grads in Summit and Westfield: Periods Don't Stop In A Pandemic

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