A countless number of girls at Staples can relate to the shared experience of missing class time just to grab a period product in the nurse’s office, as the bathroom dispensers were broken and empty. With ‘Make Me Free’ winning the Voice4Change’s $20,000 grant, free sanitary products will now be available in all of the girls’ bathrooms.

The availability of period products in the female bathrooms can now help girls feel safer and more welcome. 

“I’m so glad that us girls at Staples now have access to free period products at school,” Katherine Phelps ’25 said. “If there are ever times when you don’t have a pad or tampon, then you don’t have to scramble because of the ‘Make Me Free’ movement.” 

The implementation of ‘Make Me Free’ has the ability to help girls and individuals feel more relaxed in school by decreasing their anxiety about their menstrual cycle. 

  ​​“I feel so much safer and comfortable at school knowing that I have access to tampons in the bathroom,” Ava Ekholdt ’22 said. “I think it is a really important and beneficial change that will have a great impact on all girl students’ well-being, comfort and mental health during school.”

Not only is having accessible sanitary products for students deemed necessary, but it also helps to improve individuals’ mental health. Going to the nurse for materials is time-consuming and can take away from learning. 

“I’ve had to text my friends in school asking for tampons, and it’s such an inconvenience,” Charlotte Moody ’24 said. “It’s so comforting to know that it will be in all [of] the bathrooms rather than having to travel down three flights of stairs for something out of my control.” 

The majority of students believe that one’s period should not put education on the line. With the new accessibility of these products in the bathrooms, individuals can stop having to worry about staining their pants while trying to learn.

“I hate when I’m searching through my bag and realize I forgot to bring tampons,” Jess Mysel ’23 said. “It’s a weight being lifted knowing we’ll now have access to products at our disposal, and it’s necessary for girls. I’m so glad we’re finally receiving the bare necessities we deserve.”

​​“I feel so much safer and comfortable at school knowing that I have access to tampons in the bathroom,” Ava Ekholdt ’22 said. “I think it is a really important and beneficial change that will have a great impact on all girl students’ well-being, comfort and mental health during school.”