Facilities Embrace the Period Poverty Challenge

In other states, laws that require free menstrual products in K-12 schools do not extend that requirement to colleges and universities. This has led to campus initiatives — often student-led — to supply them. At the University of Georgia in Athens, that initiative is Project Red. 

“Project Red started as a UGA student organization and was formed in May 2020,” explains Kim Thomas, Special Projects Advisor for the UGA Facilities Management Division and Associate Vice President. “In addition to working with UGA’s Facilities Management Division with its mission to place free biodegradable menstrual products in all-gender restrooms in 11 central locations on the UGA campus, the group also fosters discussions about menstrual health and period poverty, conducts research to identify needs and menstrual equity concerns among the student body, and serves as a model for other organizations throughout the Southeast.” 

Financially, Thomas explains, Project Red was initially supported by a grant from Aunt Flow, a menstrual product provider, and a 2020 Campus Sustainability Grant from UGA’s Office of Sustainability. But as the organization grew and awareness of its work increased, Project Red’s resources struggled to meet demand. Then it was chosen to receive a $6,000 donation from the 2022-23 alumni class that was used to purchase two new dispensers, 15,000 menstrual products, and a series of promotional materials. Thomas adds that Project Red also reserved funding for future expenses to expand its reach on campus. 

From a facilities management standpoint, “all phases to plan, source, budget, implement, and sustain the project must be considered before taking on an initiative like this,” says Thomas. “Sourcing which company products and dispensers are purchased from, budgeting, and resource sustainment will be specific to your organization's procurement and budgeting guidelines. The key is to look beyond and consider the cost of sustaining the initiative.” 

Thomas adds that an additional piece of advice to facility managers would be to actively engage students, staff, and other stakeholders in the process. 

At the building level, during the initial phases of Project Red, “product dispensers were installed on mobile stands that could be moved or relocated,” she adds. “The intent was to determine the best locations to serve students, and move them around accordingly. Once a site was determined to satisfy the customer base, the dispenser was more securely installed on a restroom wall.” Where the product dispensers are installed, “custodians will place orders from the Facilities Warehouse and stock the dispensers accordingly.” 

On the campus of Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, providing free menstrual products on campus is the result of the advocacy work of several MSU student organizations. 

“The MSU divisions of Student Life and Engagement and Infrastructure Planning and Facilities installed complimentary menstrual product dispensers in women’s and all-gender restrooms on first floors (or the nearest restrooms to the first floor) of student-facing buildings during Fall semester 2022,” says Allyn R. Shaw, assistant vice president for Student Development and Leadership and Dean of Students at MSU. This student-led initiative “will continue providing free menstrual products in men’s restrooms where all-gender restrooms are not present.”