our october '23-october '24 report is out now!

In partnership with the El Dorado Food Bank, we have created the Care to Share Program which works to donate period products and sanitary supplies to those who need it the most. This was a long and hard journey after making the legislative changes/fighting for public policy initiatives to allow the county's food banks to accept and distribute menstrual products. This has never been done in Northern California before, it has only been piloted in Socal. The goal is to help battle period poverty and promote public health in the region. Our first hygiene drive (which was the region's first school-wide hygiene drive) collected nearly 1200 products, helping create packages to support over 100 menstrual cycles! These donations will go to over 30 of the food bank's distributor sites, such as women's shelters and safe parking lots for women. 

Working with AfriPADS, we hope to help East African women in the Kiboga municipality of Uganda, where disabled women and many women in the fishing industry live. By providing them with sustainable and reusable menstrual products, these women will be helped in a way that is positive for their livelihoods and the environment around them. We have donated the reusable equivalent of around 63660 products, and have created campaigns to help around 80,000 women living in the Kiboga Fishing District, especially women with disabilities who cannot easily afford menstrual products. We raised funds for this through selling bags on Zazzle Marketplace.

Ahana Raghavan (the CEO/founder) got the incredible opportunity to represent the United States at a conference with nearly 100 global representatives from organizations that tackle WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) policy and gender equity on April 25, 2024 ). She was the only student and a proud representative of the U.S. and brought her opinions on import taxes on raw materials and menstrual taboos to the table. It was an incredible experience to hear representatives from Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, and other east African nations. 

Working with volunteers from our local American Red Cross Chapter, we were able to secure volunteers to help out with County Hygiene Drive initiatives. We are grateful for all volunteers and they each have received commendation for their efforts! Thank you to all those who care just as much as we do! Go Red Cross!

Aunt Flow, the largest organization in the United States working to fight for menstrual equity, was willing to allow us to present a pitchdeck and wanted to work with us on implementing a distributor system at our school. We have installed dispensers of our own design in public school restrooms using Aunt Flow products to stock them. It has been an incredible experience! Our dispensers are different because they are discreet (one in each stall) and prevent vandalism because of their durability and accessibility. More on that from the Menstrual Hygiene Council!

Our implementation of dispensers in restrooms and the founder's research exploring women's health on a national scale resulted in Ahana Raghavan being awarded a national prize from the Jane Goodall Institute for Woolf's Torn Pages. This money will be used to power small business or chapter initiatives, and more to come on our final Project Report that will go to the Roots & Shoots committee.