When spring rolls around, many athletes look forward to baseball or track, but the LSE Feminist Club looks forward to the school’s annual tampon drive. The Feminist Club works hard every year to raise awareness for the tampon drive by putting posters around the school, making daily announcements, and providing classrooms with boxes to store tampons that students have donated. LSE and Lincoln High School have worked together for the past three years to raise awareness in schools about the need for tampons and to also provide products for the People’s City Mission.

For the past few years, the number of products donated by students and staff has grown, with LSE collecting a couple hundred boxes last year. Feminist Club does all the organization and hosts the drive every year.

“We do poster-making, and every single classroom has a box in it that was handmade by somebody in the club. We also will call businesses to see if they have anything to donate to the drive,” said Feminist Club member Hannah Johnson (11).

English teacher Ms. TeKolste shares why she thinks that I think that the tampon drive is so important, saying, “The population that the drive serves is often an overlooked population in Lincoln and so these women don’t receive these items as often as they need. It’s a recurring need, not just a one time need.”

TeKolste is happy to see the LSE community support local women, but is also glad that the Tampon Drive is providing students with something valuable – perspective.

“It’s good to think about how it brings perspective because we don’t always think about the need for products in the community. I think that the women who are receiving these products, more likely than not, are mothers. And so, first and foremost, they’re giving to their children before they’re taking care of themselves. I think it’s really a powerful way to give back to these women who I’m sure do so much for others first.”

The tampon drive is an important event that benefits many women around the Lincoln community and even in LSE. So the next time you see a box in one of your classrooms, don’t forget to donate and support women!