Boys and Girls Club collects menstrual supplies for Madison schools

MADISON, Wis. — A local nonprofit organization is leading a new effort to make sure low-income students have easy access to feminine products in Madison schools.

The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County has collected 75,000 packages of tampons to donate to the Madison Metropolitan School District.

The district will place the tampons in bathrooms at every middle school and high school over the next two weeks.

Currently, students can get free tampons from the nurse’s office but Madison Metropolitan School District Health Services Coordinator Sally Zirbel-Donisch said sometimes they are too embarrassed to ask.

In some cases, students even skip school during their menstrual cycle to avoid the embarrassment.

“If it’s going to keep a young person in school, let’s remove that barrier and if it improves attendance by a day or two or three, to me it’s worth the investment,” said Michael Johnson, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County.

Last Year, East High School ran a pilot program to install hygiene product dispensers in bathrooms.
The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County is collecting items at its headquarters until the end of the week.

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