On the evening of December 20, the Girl Scout Grand Terrace Troop 76 held a presentation called “Girls Helping Girls, First Cycle at a Time,” a Silver Award Project presented by Girl Scouts Ava Firnkoess and Jillian Mendoza.
For their Silver Award Project, Firnkoess and Mendoza focused on creating emergency menstrual kits for early puberty in girls for fourth graders and up and making sure that these kits are available in the local Grand Terrace Public Schools.
The Silver Award is the highest level of Award a Girl Scout Cadette can earn and it is a project where the girls identify a need in their community that is meaningful, sustainable, and requires at least 50 hours of service.
Coordinator of the presentation, Scout Leader Julia Firnkoess said, “Ava and Jillian are primarily focusing on the girls that are hitting puberty early. They want to make sure that these kits are in schools so that if they start in school, they will have everything they need so that they don’t feel embarrassed or insecure, and more importantly that they don’t miss school. It is so important that we provide these things for young girls in school and that they have all the tools they need to be successful.”
From working on this project, Firnkoess and Mendoza have learned about Bill AB 367 in expanding access to menstrual products for California students. Bill AB 367 promotes gender equity for girls, women, transgender, and non-binary people and helps ensure their health, safety, and dignity.
The Mistress of Ceremony was former Mayor Darcy McNaboe who stated, “The Girl Scout Troops 76, I have seen in this community do amazing things. These ladies are a very great example of philanthropists in our community and at such a wonderful age.”
“We are making emergency menstrual kits for younger girls at our local elementary schools that start early. We did our research and girls have been starting earlier than they used to 20-30 years ago,” said Ava Firnkoess when asked what their project was.
“We also started this project from our own experiences and from friends and family members of them starting early too,” said Jillian Mendoza, “We just want to make sure that our younger girls feel prepared and confident at school and just know that they are not alone because all the girls go through it, and we are here for you.”
There were presentations from medical professionals, from resident Nurse at Loma Linda Medical Center Mitsi Gomez, RN, BSN, PHM; Nurse Practitioner and owner of Refresh Redlands Medical Spa, Laura Kerstettler, FNP-C; to Dr. Alexandra Clark, a pediatrician at Loma Linda’s Children’s Hospital and incoming Chief Medical Officer for Riverside University Health System.
Also in attendance for this event was the Girl Scout CEO, Cynthia Breunig, Chief of External Relationships and Community Partnerships, Linda Dominguez, and State Assembly Member Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes.
Assembly Member Gomez Reyes stated, “As an Assembly Member when we introduce legislation, we want to make sure that the legislation is grounded on science and data. We want there to be a good reason to change it and we will be introducing this legislation in January."
“This is exciting,” said Gomez Reyes. “When you have a civic engagement at such a young age, you realize that you can change the world, and you realize that you can have those leadership positions. I want you to know that you can count on us.”
With the help of Girl Scouts, the girls were able to assemble a total of 500 menstrual kits. Inside the menstrual kit included a pad, extra underwear, sanitary napkins, a small towel, and a pamphlet with tips. All girls that attended this event received a menstrual kit, a heating pad, and more essentials for menstrual care. The rest of the menstrual kits will be going to the local elementary school in Grand Terrace.
In the early part of next year, Girl Scouts Firnkoess and Mendoza will be going to Sacramento to give their testimonial to either create a new bill or make an amendment to the current bill, Bill AB 367 so that all elementary schools can provide free menstrual supplies for their students starting from 4th grade and up.