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| OA Photo by Ruth Campbell |
By Ruth Campbell, Reporter
• Odessa American
ODESSA, TEXAS - Five of six middle schools and the two Ector County ISD high schools now have Pink Pantries with free feminine hygiene products.
The pantries, which opened a month ago, come courtesy of Communities in Schools through a grant from Junior League of Odessa. Communities in Schools is a dropout prevention program that also includes mental health and academic support.
The schools with Pink Pantries are Wilson & Young, Nimitz, Bonham, Bowie and Crockett middle schools, plus the Alternative Center, Odessa and Permian high schools.
Communities in Schools Executive Director Eliseo Elizondo said the pantries were underwritten with a $10,000 grant from the Odessa Junior League.
“We provide whatever services and products that we need basically to all of our kids to keep them in school and get them graduated. This is just another aspect of that. We kind of did it on a piecemeal fashion. We provide hygiene products, among all other supplies that these guys give out to the kids. Feminine hygiene products are involved in that, obviously, but now this is a concerted effort,” Elizondo said.
They started pink pantries in Midland ISD with the Junior League of Midland about four years ago, but they also knew there was a big need in Odessa.
The Junior League here approached CIS about the pink pantry in schools, and along with the underwriting, will provide volunteers to help with the resupply.
“We are managing administering the program on-site at ECISD campuses that we serve,” Elizondo said.
He added that it’s not just for young women in the CIS program, but for any woman on the campus.
Enedelia Ureta, campus coordinator at PHS, said most of their offices are pretty good sized.
“We have a food pantry. We have a clothes pantry; a school supply pantry; and now the pink pantry, so for us, it’s in our offices,” Ureta said.
Michael Alva, campus coordinator at OHS, said his office has floor-to-ceiling shelves.
“The food pantry is on one side. I have school supplies in the middle and then the pink pantry. It’s closer to the door. It’s actually behind the door, so it’s a little more discreet. The students already know what they can and can’t grab,” Alva said.
He added that they keep track for restocking purposes of what’s distributed. There is no identifying information.
There are large pink-topped bins and the grant funding is being used to purchase the products.
“But eventually, there’s a hope that either through donations or recognitions with affiliated retailers, possibly, and deals being made to supply that for us, if not for free at a discounted rate,” Elizondo said.
“That’s really the crux of it. It’s 2022 and it’s ridiculous, but we have young ladies that aren’t able to come to school because it’s that time of the month for them. … Either they can’t afford it because feminine hygiene products cost so much …,” he added.
Many of the students Communities in Schools serve are from lower socioeconomic levels, so it’s difficult to buy feminine products, Elizondo said.
Ureta noted there are many grandparents and single dads raising girls who may not feel comfortable picking up products for their girls so the pink pantries are a way to make it a little easier.
“Many times I’ve had conversations with single fathers about approaching that situation,” Alva said.
Ureta said students have a hard time getting undergarments, especially the girls, so they will also be receiving those.
Elizondo said nurse’s offices generally supply hospital size pads. Ureta said they only supply one.
Elizondo added that there is a little bit of everything in the pink pantries like panty liners, tampons and pads.
“We have the undergarments. We have also feminine wash, if an accident happens. We have the pads and then we have the panty liners, as well,” Ureta said. “So with that being said, when they do go to the nurse’s office and an accident happens they get sent to us anyway, usually, because they need pants or undergarments. The nurse only does give out one pad per student and they’re the hospital ones. So they’re humongous. For our other girls that are light or very petite … they just don’t accommodate those girls. So we we’ll be getting that as well.”
Elizondo said they are not promoting the use of anything specific, they just try to have whatever the young woman is used to using.
“It is very much a cultural choice,” Ureta said.
Thousands of students are served by CIS in Odessa.
“We also don’t just service social needs. We service as academics and attendance,” Ureta said.
Elizondo said the case managers hold small group and campus-wide events.
“It’s hard to tell exactly how many students we serve through our services,” Elizondo said.
Ureta said they also serve adults and teachers.
Elizondo said they started with food pantries in partnership with the West Texas Food Bank and were shocked at the stories of staff and faculty dropping by for items. He said he knew students used the services, but that extends to their families, as well ...
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