Student Senate started stocking certain restrooms in Baker Center and Alden Library with menstrual products Tuesday.
Senate is now working with Custodial Services and Facilities Management to refill baskets with 26 menstrual products in each restroom every week, The Period Project's Chair of Legislative Affairs Madison Sloat said.
Before Student Senate took over the initiative in Baker Center and Alden Library, it was run by The Period Project and called Take a Tampon, Leave a Tampon. Senate now pays for and administers it, Women’s Affairs Commissioner Hannah Burke said.
“We worked toward getting this money from Student Senate for a while,” The Period Project President Karinne Hill said. “For the past couple months it’s been exciting to think about, but now it’s physically happening.”
The Period Project is still overseeing Take a Tampon, Leave a Tampon in buildings other than Baker Center and Alden Library, Hill, who is a previous Post columnist, said.
Before stocking, Burke and Sloat went to the eight restrooms to secure boxes with Command Strips. They are working to put up posters that explain the program.
Sloat, who is also an East Green Senator, said the program is a “trial run” until the next influx of senate funding in Fall Semester 2018. Senate will make changes if problems arise or it finds a more efficient way to distribute products.
“We’ll be taking note of how it happens so we can be making it a better program year after year,” Burke said.
Senate is spending the full $1,850 allocated to the cause to purchase menstrual products from Aunt Flow, an organization based in Columbus that produces 100 percent organic cotton menstrual products.
Sloat said products from Aunt Flow are cheaper because senate buys in bulk. Aunt Flow works with college campuses and gave senate a shipping discount so they did not spend more than $1,850.
Senate also chose Aunt Flow because the company donates 10 percent of the proceeds back to the community, Hill said.
Aunt Flow will give extra tampons to The Period Project in the City of Athens, which The Period Project will then distribute to shelters and local schools, Burke said.
Sloat said she feels the system is “pretty solid,” and her only concern is whether the number of products in the baskets will be enough.
She said they are still hoping to promote Take a Tampon, Leave a Tampon across campus and are encouraging donations.
She added that 26 products is an increase, but senate will monitor and see if there is a “better way to do it.”
“This will help a ton of students,” Sloat said. “We’ve gotten positive feedback (for) the smaller, original program.”
