ROCHESTER, Wash. — Middle school is already hard enough, but add the pressures of social media and worrying about what your friends think.
Best friends Izzy Masias and Audrey Williams are 8th graders at Rochester Middle School who are looking to shape the way their peers view a topic that not many of them are comfortable talking about: periods.
Their project, "No Problem. Period." started with what the girls call an “incident” at school when Williams got her period during class. She said it started on the first day of school, adding “it was very confusing.”
“I didn’t have 25 cents because I don’t carry around quarters,” Williams explained.
Her "incident" turned into a school project that led to an online fundraiser. Masias’ father was the one who encouraged the girls to put the word out through a GoFundMe.
The funds raised from the account go directly into buying tampons, pads, liners and other feminine items.
The girls now have an entire bin full of feminine hygiene products.
"In the bottom drawer, we have underwear and leggings," Masias added.
Masias said they want to go above and beyond, for anyone else experiencing what Williams did during class that first day of school.
“In our community, we have many low-income families”, Masias emphasized, adding they want to make sure everyone has access, regardless of their circumstance.
“We got a lot of questions or comments about ‘what if the girls grab seven’ of this particular product. Well, if they grab seven, they grab seven. Because they obviously need it,” said Williams.
As the support continues to roll in, both girls hope it becomes a movement.
Just this week, a Senate bill was introduced in the Washington State Legislature regarding menstrual hygiene products. SB 6073 calls for those products to be made available in public school restrooms.
Williams and Masias plan to testify at the public hearing for the bill on Friday.