Two local high school students are working to put an end to period poverty in the Las Vegas area.
Sisters, Caitlyn and Chloe are the founders of The Wellness Box Foundation, a nonprofit organization that distributes menstrual products to women and girls who cannot afford them.
According to the organization, 1 in 10 girls will miss school during their period due to lack of access to menstrual products.
17-year old Caitlyn was inspired after learning of the harsh realities many women face while managing their cycles. "My motivation is rooted in the belief that every individual, regardless of their circumstances, deserves to maintain their dignity, health and well-being," Caitlyn said.
The sisters say that getting their organization off the ground was the biggest challenge. "Figuring out what we wanted in each box, where we were going to source the actual materials for each box," Caitlyn explains. "But I feel like once we got it started, it kind of took off from there."
The Wellness Box Foundation distributes to local homeless shelters, with each wellness box containing pads, tampons, makeup and hygiene products. They are also working to partner with local schools to bring awareness to period poverty and misinformation regarding menstrual cycles.
But the organization isn't just confined to Las Vegas, as the sisters are planning to expand across the country. "We're already trying to start chapters in different places," Caitlyn shares. "Our friends in California started a chapter. We have a chapter in Virginia right now. So it's definitely something that we want to take nationally."
"Caitlyn's going to college in a year. So she's planning to bring the foundation to wherever she goes, and I'm also planning to take it over when she leaves," 15-year old Chloe adds.
The sisters started their organization when they were only 13 and 15, emphasizing that it's taught them about their own strength and capabilities. Caitlyn says, "Important thing that we stand for is it doesn't matter how old you are, change can happen no matter how old you are."