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With approximately 51 percent of Arkansas’ population made up of women and girls, the Monticello Rotary Club is once again focusing attention on a basic need that can often go unnoticed.
The club is sponsoring its third feminine hygiene product drive to benefit girls in Drew County, collecting essential products and monetary donations to help ensure young women in our community have access to necessary personal care items. The drive will officially begin Monday, July 20, and will conclude August 21.
All products collected through the drive will benefit girls in Drew County and will be donated to Vera Lloyd and the Baptist Home for distribution to those they serve.
Access to feminine hygiene products is a basic need, but the cost of those items can create an additional burden for young women and families facing financial challenges. Through the drive, the Monticello Rotary Club hopes to remove one barrier and provide local girls with access to the products they need with dignity and confidence.
Several local businesses have already stepped forward to support the effort. Walmart, ESA, Union Bank & Trust and Commercial Bank have made donations to the drive, helping build momentum as the communitywide collection gets underway.
Community members are encouraged to donate new, individually wrapped feminine hygiene products. Drop-off locations include First United Methodist Church, POSH and Southern Style Family Hair Care in Monticello.
Monetary donations are also accepted and will be used to purchase additional products for the drive. For convenience, the Rotary Club has set up a CashApp account. It can be found by searching $RotaryMonticello. By offering multiple ways to contribute, the club hopes individuals, businesses, churches and community organizations can participate in the effort. Every dollar counts as the average cost of one package of feminine hygiene products costs more than ten dollars.
The project is part of Rotary’s longstanding tradition of Service Above Self, both around the world and at home. Rotary International has played a major role in the global effort to eradicate polio, demonstrating the impact service organizations can have when communities work toward a common goal.
Locally, the Monticello Rotary Club continues that mission through projects focused on Drew County’s needs. In addition to the feminine hygiene product drive, the club awards scholarships each year to a graduating senior from Monticello High School and Drew Central High School.
Now in its third year, the feminine hygiene product drive is another example of the club’s focus on identifying needs within the community and finding practical ways to help.
For Rotary members, each box of products donated represents an opportunity to directly support a young woman in Drew County. The club hopes the drive will also increase awareness of the challenges some girls face in accessing necessary hygiene products.
Those interested in learning more about the feminine hygiene product drive, making a monetary donation or becoming involved may contact any Monticello Rotary Club member for additional information.
