Our Programs
The Period Positive Program
Free feminine hygiene supplies for local young women — so that getting caught unprepared at school never costs a girl her day, her dignity, or her attendance.
Provided free of charge to every student, at every school we reach.
11
schools supplied across the Lakeland 272 School District
600+
period pouches donated over two years
3
school districts reached: Lakeland, West Bonner, and Coeur d’Alene
April 2024
our first free hygiene cart installed, at Timberlake Middle School
The Beginning
Why We Started This
The Period Positive Program was created when concerned mothers learned their daughters were struggling to access feminine hygiene while at school — experiencing their menstrual cycle unexpectedly or unpreparedly, some of them for the very first time.
With continued research and conversation, we learned that school staff were using their own personal finances to make these items available. At no fault to the schools, we wanted to work with administrators and nurses to provide them at no charge to anyone.
Inside the Pouch
What Every Pouch Holds
Each pouch is curated to get a young woman cleanly and confidently through the rest of her school day, and it is hers to keep.
- 2 pads
- 2 tampons
- 2 pantyliners
- Feminine wipes
- A brand new pair of underwear
- A sweet treat
- A discreet reusable pouch
Small, discreet, and reusable by design. A student can pick one up and carry on with her day without a conversation she did not want to have.
How It Grew
From One Pouch to a Cart in Every Restroom
We started with Lakeland
Bestowing the Basics began supplying all 11 schools within the Lakeland 272 School District with an assortment of feminine hygiene products, curated into one small period pouch, free of charge.
The nurses found a second use
Lakeland elementary nurses began using the pouches as a teaching tool in their annual 5th grade Growth and Development class. Every female student receives a free pouch to keep and carry with her onward to middle school. Over two years we have donated more than 600 pouches.
Word spread to other districts
We expanded the program to work with the West Bonner School District and the Coeur d’Alene School District.
The pouch became a cart
In April of 2024 we furnished the girls restroom at Timberlake Middle School with our first free feminine hygiene cart — a 3-tier utility cart stationed in the restroom itself, so students can take what they need, when they need it.
The growing success of this program has only been made possible by passionate volunteers, a wonderful collaboration with area schools, and generous donors and sponsors who support the work we do for young women.
What Is Next
Period Packs and Beyond
We are researching and learning ways to provide all women access to free feminine hygiene — including those who use area food banks, shelters, and other community resources.
We are developing the Period Pack, which will contain an assortment of products selected for a woman’s age, size, and cycle. Our goal is to ensure all women, regardless of need, can obtain the essentials they require.
Should you or someone you know need assistance with feminine hygiene products, please do not hesitate to contact us here. No explanation necessary.
How You Can Help
Keep the Carts Stocked
Donate Products
Pads, tampons, pantyliners, feminine wipes, and new underwear in a range of sizes. Drop them at any collection location.
Come to an Assembly Night
Pouches do not fill themselves. Assembly is easy, sociable work and a great fit for groups, teams, and families.
Sponsor a School
Underwrite the cost of stocking a cart for a school year and we will keep it filled from the first day to the last.
Drop-off locations: Athol Community Center · Resource Center · Athol P1FCU · Farragut State Park Visitors Center
Support the Period Positive Program
Every pouch is one less girl who has to go home early, miss a class, or ask a teacher for help she should never have needed to ask for.
Questions? Call us at (208) 561-5050