The PAD Project: GVHS’s Newest Period Awareness Club

A group photo of Pad Project’s leadership team. From left to right is their treasurer Grace Pollard, their vice president Madison Castillo, their secretary India Watson, their publicity coordinator Lily Ulloa, their president, Brooke Saavedra their public relations manager, Dara Falodun, and their club advisor Senora Cedeno, photo taken on October 11, 2023 at Golden Valley High School.

The PAD Project is a movement that is not only at GVHS, but at several other schools like Valencia High School, Saugus High School, and even at Columbia University. They are spreading awareness across almost every school in the William S Hart district.

It aims to not only make people aware that menstruation is normal, but also to increase awareness of menstruation in the period poverty struggle. It is the situation where women cannot afford the proper products to take care of their needs when their menstruation occurs. Every woman should have the luxury, and nobility of being able to comfort their needs, “Because a period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education.” gvpadproject’s post from Instagram.”

Brooke Saaverda, the president of the PAD Project expressed “This is an issue that has gone unsaid for far too long. We need to create an environment to make it known that menstruation is a word worthy of validation.” She has been President of the club since the start of this semester, and explained that the purpose of this CLORG is to educate those who know little about menstruation and create a safe environment for them.

She has stated that the club not only helps those in need of a comfortable space, but also works on a donation drive to provide menstruation supplies to those that need it. This club is also something meaningful to Ms. Saavedra as well. “The PAD Project to me means the beginning of a chapter to a progressive lifetime. To help those who need to realize that what they have is normal” . She and the staff at the PAD Project, want to make it known that menstruators are never alone in their struggle to accept menstruation as an integral part of a woman’s life. While PAD Project has just started at Golden Valley, the cause and organization has been alive and ongoing for a decade, headed by a group of youths working to convince everyone that menstruation is a matter worth addressing.

To women going through the struggle themselves, know that you are not alone. The PAD Project is always accepting new members and ensuring that the needs are always addressed and validated. If you want to know more about the PAD Project, think about joining. You can contact the PAD Project President, Brooke Saavedra, by emailing her at [email protected] or by visiting the official Instagram page under the username gvpadproject for information on meeting days, getting to know the team, and knowing more about what they do.