The Gender Equality Club, which is new to Neshaminy High School, recently held its first Feminine Hygiene Drive. The drive took place over the course of two weeks. Items collected included tampons, pads, soaps, shampoos, tissues, hand sanitizers, toothbrushes, and much more. Boxes are set around the school, either in G219, main office or the English IPC.

        Adviser of the club, Kristen McCreary, an English teacher at Neshaminy, helped put the drive together. “When Hannah Whitty approached me and asked me about a Gender Equality Club, I was excited about the idea,” McCreary said. “I firmly believe that all people should be treated equally. It is a wonderful opportunity to be part of a group who shares the same view.”

      Sophomore Hannah Whitty was instrumental in creating the club. “I am hosting this drive because I want to help the woman in our community by providing hygiene products,” Whitty said.

Whitty talked about her inspiration  to do the drive. “U by Kotex started a ‘power to the period’ movement that showed other drives, which pushed me to take initiative and start my own,” she said. “Gender Equality Club reached out to many local shelters that were interested in our donations and made flyers to let the students of Neshaminy know about our drive.”

    The members of the Gender Equality Club feel strongly about the drive and really hope it makes a difference. One member from the club, sophomore Brianna Herder, said she hopes the drive will be very eye opening. “I think it’s a fabulous idea because not only are you helping someone in need, but it forces you to think about what it’s like to have to deal with a period when you have little to no resources,” Herder said.

With new events and opportunities, many are excited to see how both the club and drive will all come together. “When I first heard about the drive I thought it was something different,” Herder said. “I’ve never taken part in a tampon drive before so it’s cool to see it play out.”

       “Raising awareness and having fun, overall all of this,” Hannah Whitty hopes “they can raise awareness to get rid of the stigma around periods and take pressure off those in need by providing products for them.”

McCreary hopes, “that this drive will help the students of Neshaminy come together for a great cause and will enable us to help provide for people in our community who are in need.”