PUREiod initiative aims to combat period poverty

ALGOMA – The PUREiod initiative, started by two Algoma High School seniors four years ago, aims to address period poverty by providing menstrual hygiene products to students of all social classes, cultures and identities.The initiative is currently maintained by students Macie Zimmerman, Katie Zimmerman, Tessa LeBotte, Lyida Nell, Lauren Loucks and Mackenzie Stewart, who plan to pass the torch to lowerclassmen after they graduate.

“We learned that approximately 5 million people in the US are unable to obtain menstrual hygiene products with that, education can be affected if the necessary products are not accessible, and it can lead to staying home and being unable to engage in activities such as work, school and sports,” Macie said.

According to the current members, PUREiod got its name from the founders’ goal to demystify periods and to combat the association with uncleanliness.
“Earlier this year, we went to a classroom of seventh graders, and we talked about periods in general, and it was a very uncomfortable conversation. And I just want to see a change in that,” Katie said. “And I love to see what we’re doing and how that helps the conversation flow better.”

Through the project, the group has distributed carts with menstrual products in school bathrooms and take-home bags for weekends.

“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback that it’s really helpful for students to have [free menstrual products],” Macie said.

At first, they relied solely on community donations, both of products and financial support. However, group member Mackenzie Stewart said they realized they needed a consistent form of funding.

“We collect aluminum cans in the community, so we have bins at the end of all of our hallways at school to collect aluminum cans, and then we have a big bin in our parking lot that community members can bring their cans to,” Mackenzie said. “We get a lot of cans in the bin outside, and we still get money donations and product donations from community members, too.”

Keeping products stocked is no small feat, even when there is enough supply.
“We have five bathrooms in the school that have a bin filled with pads, liners and then all size tampons. So each week, we fill them up to the correct amount that we started with at the beginning of the year, which is usually 10-15 tampons and 20 pads,” Macie said. “So each week, we restock all the bins within the school, and we have a spreadsheet to keep track of everything that we add in all of our inventory as well.”

PUREiod is also offering free menstrual products in the elementary school, as the average period starts at age 12 but can begin years earlier for some people.
The group has faced mixed responses regarding the PUREiod project, including complaints from some about supporting a program that does nothing for them. However, the team remains committed to normalizing menstruation discussions and supporting those in need.

“We’ve gotten some poor responses from people saying, ‘Why would we want to contribute when this doesn’t affect us?’ but we can’t help everyone and we just want people to know that we’re trying to better our school and help people,” Macie said.

While most of the group will be graduating this spring, they’re still looking to develop the initiative further before they leave.

“We plan on working with local businesses to put donation bins and flyers in their businesses around the community. We also plan to work with other schools to help them initiate something similar within their school,” Macie said. “We want to keep the bins running at our school and maintain that, but we also want to spread awareness and normalize the conversation about what we do.”

Donations can be brought to the Algoma High School office or at the Wellness Center. The group also has a donation bin in Blue Yorkie Juicery, located at 604 4th St., Algoma. Macie said they accept everything but cardboard products and maxi pads.

“I really like how we kind of normalize the conversation and make it not such a scary thing to talk about. And, of course, helping all the girls that need help,” Tessa said.

The group said while they will miss their work, they look forward to bringing a similar spirit with them after high school.

“I will be attending St. Norbert College, and I signed up to be a part of an organization or club they have that advocates for change within the school. So I’m hoping that with that I can carry on what we’ve done here to my college,” Macie said.