Health and
Wellness

Period.

Program Need
Project PERIOD. is a movement to end period poverty in Palm Beach County schools. There are currently 36 Title One schools in southern Palm Beach County with over 28,000 enrolled students who are living at or below the poverty threshold. In the state of Florida, feminine hygiene products are considered "luxury items" and are not an eligible purchase with government assistance programs. Often lower income families are forced to prioritize spending and, sadly, necessary hygiene products are not items that fit into their budgets. Due to the lack of access to proper and necessary feminine hygiene products, young women are forced to miss school during menstruation. This can equate to over a month of classes in a given school year, each year from the onset of puberty. Project PERIOD. directly addresses this need in partnership with the school district and school nurses. By supplying schools with PERIOD. bags, administered through the school nurses, we are removing barriers, improving self-worth, and ultimately empowering students to succeed.
COVID-19 has exponentially increased the need in the underserved student population that this project is targeted for due to the sudden rise in unemployment and economic hardship. Our sources tell us that student poverty rates could jump by 30-40%. In the event that schools close again during the 2020-2021 school year, we are working with our partners in the Health Care District and School District to accommodate new distribution processes for our products.
Program Description
Impact 100 PBC funds will be used to support two years of hygiene supplies (90%), project management personnel (5%), and product distribution costs (5%). Not only does PERIOD. provide tangible products but it provides hope and a more equal opportunity for success.
Metrics will be updated every 6 months, as reports are received.