MADISON COUNTY, Ky. — The cost of having a menstrual cycle often can't be covered by those living paycheck to paycheck. During school, young girls in middle and high school often struggle to get period products.
"Oh my goodness, I've started my cycle at school I don't have the products that I need so what do I do?" said Chanté Perryman.
Perryman said she's answering that question for young girls in Madison, Estill, and Garrard county schools. She's collecting what she calls period provisions — to give away for free.
Data shows that one in four young women live below the poverty line in the United States.
"If they're already living below that line, and their families are just trying to make it day by day, of getting food, paying their bills, getting medicine a lot of times the personal hygiene products might get cut to the bottom of the list," said Perryman.
Data also shows when a school-aged girl gets her period, she often misses school.
"They're missing opportunities and it's like that's something that we can prevent if they just have the necessary products," said Perryman.
She started the initiative last year, giving products to five Richmond schools. Now she plans to be in 15 schools, with the hope of having $1,000 worth of period products for each middle and high school in the three counties around Richmond.
Perryman is collecting donations now and plans to drop them off at the end of August. For information on how to donate, click here.
