Scouts create a Girls Preparing Closet
WEST MILFORD. Residents are asked to donate supplies that students at Macopin Middle School can use in emergencies.
| 02 Aug 2023 | 08:22
GS1 Girl Scouts Lily Santiago, Kaitlyn Donaldson and Sony Lynn Hart speak to the Board of Education about their Bronze Award project, a Girls Preparing Closet. (Photos provided)
Lily Santiago, Kaitlyn Donaldson and Sony Lynn Hart are members of Girl Scout Troop 97403.
Members of Girl Scout Troop 97403 spoke to the Board of Education on July 18, requesting approval to move forward with their Bronze Award project.
The group of 11-year-old girls is planning a Girls Preparing Closet, which would be located at Macopin Middle School.
It would allow students to access a semi-private area of the nurse’s office to address their menstruation needs.
The Scouts are preparing the space and are accepting donations of pads, tampons, underwear, wipes, deodorants and black leggings of all sizes for use in emergencies.
Donations may be made through their Amazon wish list online at https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/87HK663TEZTZ?fbclid=IwAR1lEMETe7wApA5EjvwrrwjZrpJYN9HURlaB-CZSWVsPuejgNT_tzZUQwQo or by dropping items in the yellow-and-black bin by the front door of Macopin School.
The troop’s members include Lily Santiago, Kaitlyn Donaldson and Sony Lynn Hart, who will attend Macopin in the fall as sixth-graders.
They explained that one in four girls experiences “period poverty,” defined as difficulty paying for menstrual supplies. These supplies can cost up to $100 a year.
On June 30, New Jersey lawmakers approved proposed legislation S1221, which would require all schools in the state to have menstrual supplies available at no cost to students in grades 6-12.
The Girls Preparing Closet at Macopin will be stocked by the Scouts with donations from the community.