Toiletry Drive Addresses Period Poverty

Volunteers from Project Period at the Academy of the Holy Angels recently hosted a drive to support Mercy House in Newark. Students spread the word, and the school community responded by contributing feminine hygiene products, toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, and moisturizer.

Project Period Co-Presidents Katherine Langan and Sarah David spearheaded the effort at AHA Upper School with support from Treasurer Emily Kim and Secretary Sofia Henry. Campus Ministers Nick Fallivene and Maryanne Miloscia helped the Angels partner with Mercy House and organize the drive.

“We chose to partner with Mercy House upon the suggestion of Mr. Fallivene,” Langan explained. She shared that she approached Campus Ministry earlier this year with the aim of providing toiletries to a local women’s shelter, and Fallivene had a connection to Mercy House.

Langan explained that this drive helps women who face period poverty: financial constraints that limit or prevent individuals from having access to feminine hygiene products. She noted that this is a widespread issue that affects millions of women.

“As a woman, I feel connected to this issue and understand the financial burden that can be caused by having to purchase menstrual products,” Langan noted, adding that she has been working to address this issue for several years.

“The response from the school community was very positive, and we will be able to donate at least 60 bags filled with maxi pads and other sanitary products to women at Mercy House,” Langan said. “The collected items will benefit women facing financial constraints. Buying maxi pads and sanitary items can be a burden, so we hope to relieve that. Also, by putting the items in reusable bags, we are hoping to make the women we are donating to feel more comfortable, as the topic of menstruation can sometimes be uncomfortable.”

Langan added her hope that the toiletry kits help women at Mercy House feel supported.

According to rcan.org/mercy-house, “The mission of the Mercy House is to offer a welcoming space for individuals and families in need – and to provide emotional support and healing in a comfortable, faith-filled environment.” Mercy House is a ministry of the Archdiocese of Newark.

Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1879, the Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private girls’ school in Bergen County. While AHA is steeped in Catholic tradition, this prestigious school serves young women from a broad spectrum of cultural and religious backgrounds. The Academy’s current leaders continue to further the SSND mission to provide each student with the tools she needs to reach the fullness of her potential—spiritually, intellectually, socially, and physically, by offering a first-rate education in a nurturing environment where equal importance is placed on academic excellence, character development, moral integrity, and service to others.