In an effort to ensure that every student has access to basic hygiene products, Rutherford County Schools has introduced hygiene vending machines in select schools, offering a fresh start for students facing challenges.
The machines, stocked with everything from feminine products to laundry pods, aim to eliminate barriers to attendance caused by a lack of essential items.
Christiana Middle School is the latest school to get a machine, and everything inside the hygiene vending machine is absolutely free for students.
The project is a collaboration between the school district and the local non-profit organization Archie’s Promise, which provides affordable formal and business wear and free hygiene products to economically disadvantaged families and displaced youth and adults.
Claressa Ham, the executive director of Archie’s Promise, expressed the ultimate goal of the initiative, stating, “The ultimate goal is to know that they have these items here and available; they don’t have to miss school, they can come get what they need at school.”