Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Lee.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Sophie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My name is Sophie Lee, and I am currently a senior at North Gwinnett High School. I first got involved with PERIOD Atlanta in 2019. I was scrolling through Instagram when a page called “@periodmovement” caught my eye; I reached out directly to the organization and found that there was a community chapter here in Atlanta. I grew to further appreciate the power of social media — I could not have found out about PERIOD Atlanta or helped plan our first annual National Period Day in 2019 without the abilities social media gave me to reach out to potential presenters and attendees.
After reading the book Period Power by Nadya Okamoto, the founder of PERIOD Inc., I learned things about my body that no traditional sex-ed curriculum had ever taught me, serving as a reminder that better menstrual education was needed in formal schooling. I also became aware of the struggles that underprivileged menstruators face during their cycles, like a lack of access to essential period products. The work of PERIOD’s founder and countless other chapter leaders around the world helped me realize that there is no time more critical than the present to use my privilege as a platform for change. After becoming the chair of PERIOD Atlanta in 2020, I began to gauge the demands of menstruators in need around Atlanta. I gathered a team of impassioned high schoolers like me, and we immediately got to work, reaching out to organizations that needed menstrual product donations. Today, PERIOD Atlanta has donated more than 6,000 menstrual products to shelters and organizations across the city.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has definitely been a challenge for a relatively new, small organization like PERIOD Atlanta to establish connections with shelters and organizations in need throughout the city. PERIOD Atlanta’s transition to an entirely student-run organization has also proven to be more difficult than I thought previously, especially with the current global health situation. As high schoolers, our current executive board does not have many of the same resources (money, transportation, etc.) as adults, and we have to balance PERIOD Atlanta’s work with other extracurriculars and academic priorities. However, we have been working harder than ever to meet the needs of menstruators whose circumstances have been further exacerbated by the pandemic.
We’d love to hear more about PERIOD Atlanta.
PERIOD Atlanta is a youth-led organization dedicated to fighting for an end to period poverty, the “tampon tax,” and menstrual inequity in the greater Atlanta area. We recently donated over 6,000 menstrual products to women’s health organizations across the community, including the Clarkston Community Health Center and the Refugee Women’s Network. Our most recent collaboration was with Soul Supplies Atlanta, a student-led organization dedicated to providing essential supplies to people experiencing homelessness. For Soul Supplies’ first-ever “Backpack-A-Thon” at Safehouse Outreach, we helped pack over 300 backpacks filled with supplies (including menstrual products) and distributed them to people experiencing homelessness in the city. Our organization is currently looking to expand our reach across metro Atlanta in an effort to gain more donations and distribute more products, and we hope to expand the advocacy arm of our work soon. Despite PERIOD Atlanta’s executive board and membership base being mostly high school/college students, I am so proud of how large we have grown in the past few months, both in size and in influence.
PERIOD Atlanta would not be the organization it is today without our current executive board and our founder/former chair, Kristen Loudermilk. Our executive board members include Aaliya Cassoobhoy, Communications Director; Aanika Eragam, Event Coordinator; and Julia Victor, Treasurer. The community of greater Atlanta makes our work possible, providing us with monetary donations as well as physical donations of menstrual products to meet the needs of menstruators. Apps such as NextDoor and Facebook have allowed me to reach out to my immediate community and receive donations from family, friends, and other good neighbors. PERIOD Atlanta is also a proud member of the Georgia STOMP (Stop Tax On Menstrual Products) coalition, which seeks to eliminate the 4% state sales tax Georgians are charged on the medically necessary, unavoidable items they need to manage their periods with dignity. My parents taught me that periods are something to be celebrated, not to be ashamed of. I invite all of you, regardless of your background or orientation, to join us in PERIOD Atlanta’s pursuit of menstrual justice for all.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The metro Atlanta area has a strong network of organizations and individuals working to better the city and its surrounding areas. In spite of this, Atlanta has high levels of income inequality and economic disparities, which in many cases leads to menstrual inequity. As a social justice organization, it is vital that PERIOD Atlanta be inclusive and widespread in our approach to reaching and helping residents of Atlanta. As an individual who has never experienced period poverty but has recognized the inequalities still within Atlanta, it is gratifying to use PERIOD Atlanta’s resources to help the community. Though Atlanta is a large and complex city, its diversity is its strength. One of the most rewarding parts of working for PERIOD Atlanta is meeting others from many different backgrounds and experiences, all while exploring the smaller communities that make up metro Atlanta.
Contact Info:
- Website: periodatlanta.weebly.com
- Email: periodatlantageorgia@gmail.com
- Instagram: @period.atlanta
Image Credit:
Chelsea Muoka
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