Every student deserves access to essential hygiene products, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances. For girls navigating adolescence and menstruation, access to personal care and feminine hygiene products is especially important for maintaining comfort, confidence, and well-being throughout the school day.
Recognizing this need, GFoundation partnered with PS 199 in Brooklyn, New York, to support the launch of its Girls’ Essentials Closet, a school-based initiative providing female students with convenient and discreet access to personal care and menstrual hygiene products throughout the academic year.
Through this collaboration, GFoundation aims to help reduce barriers to essential hygiene products and support a school environment where students can feel comfortable, respected, and ready to learn.
Providing Essential Hygiene Products for Students
To help establish the Girls’ Essentials Closet, GFoundation donated a selection of personal care and menstrual hygiene supplies, including:
- Full-size packages of menstrual pads
- Approximately 100 individually wrapped pads
- A dozen baby wipes
These supplies will help build the closet’s initial inventory, giving students access to essential products when they need them.
As a Title I school, PS 199 serves a community that includes families experiencing financial hardship. For some households, the cost of everyday necessities, including menstrual hygiene products, can create additional financial pressure.
The Girls’ Essentials Closet is designed to address this need by making essential products available within the school in a convenient and discreet way. Rather than worrying about whether they have the supplies they need, students can access these necessities in a supportive environment and focus on their education and daily activities.
According to the school, approximately 250 girls are expected to benefit from the initiative throughout the academic year.
Creating a School Environment Rooted in Dignity and Care
Access to menstrual hygiene products is about more than meeting a basic physical need. For young girls, having the supplies they need can help reduce unnecessary stress and embarrassment while supporting their confidence and participation in school.
The Girls’ Essentials Closet reflects PS 199’s commitment to creating an environment where students feel supported, respected, and valued.
Following the delivery of the donated supplies, Tamilla Ashirova, a teacher at PS 199, expressed her appreciation for GFoundation’s contribution and emphasized the importance of ensuring that students have access to basic necessities with dignity.
“No child should ever feel embarrassed or go without basic necessities because of financial circumstances.”
Her message captures the purpose behind the initiative: ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent students from accessing the everyday essentials they need.
By helping make these products available at school, the initiative provides a practical resource that supports students’ comfort, confidence, and overall well-being.
Strengthening Community Partnerships for Lasting Impact
At GFoundation, we believe meaningful support goes beyond a single donation. Working alongside schools and community organizations allows us to better understand the challenges students and families face and identify practical ways to respond.
The launch of the Girls’ Essentials Closet marks an important beginning in GFoundation’s collaboration with PS 199. Continued communication with the school will help us understand how the closet is serving students and identify opportunities for additional support as needs arise.
We are grateful to the dedicated staff at PS 199 for their commitment to creating a caring and inclusive school environment.
Through this partnership, GFoundation is proud to support an initiative that addresses students’ immediate hygiene needs while promoting dignity, confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging.
As GFoundation continues its work supporting women and girls, we remain committed to helping make essential personal care products more accessible to those who need them.
Together, we can help ensure that every girl has the essentials she needs to feel confident, supported, and ready to thrive at school.
Your gift helps girls and women access essential menstrual products so they can stay healthy, confident, and focused on their daily lives.
Together, we can ensure that no girl has to miss school or hide her period because of poverty.
| Donate to Support Girls’ Menstrual Health
- Become a Monthly Donor – Help provide ongoing access to menstrual products and personal care essentials for girls in need.
- Make a One-Time Gift – Support hygiene initiatives that help girls access the essential products they need at school and in their daily lives.
- Give In-Kind Donation – Donate sanitary pads, wipes, and other personal care products to support girls and women facing hygiene insecurity. [link]
