Sisterhood is fundamental to my life; it’s in my blood, so to speak. When I see women hurting, when women I know nonchalantly criticize their bodies or when women feel stigmatized and ashamed, it’s visceral for me. So when I got the call from one of my classmates asking if I would help her start a chapter of PERIOD at Calvin, I didn’t hesitate.

Now, nearly six months later, we are an established student organization working to serve, educate, and advocate on the topic of periods. We hope to change the conversation about periods and provide care for women in need. We do this through educating people about menstruation, advocating for the end of the tampon tax, and putting together “period packs” to donate. (“Period packs” are bags supplied with enough sanitary pads and tampons to last a woman one menstrual cycle).

Though PERIOD is not in and of itself a religious organization, our chapter here at Calvin is motivated by the Biblical mandate to “act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.” On the first night we discussed the possibility of starting PERIOD at Calvin, Rebekah, our president, kept reiterating how she felt she “had to do something”; how she was sick of just talking the talk.  With the brokenness of the world and the restorative justice of the gospel message before us, we decided PERIOD was a good place for us to start.