For the sixth year in a row, several student organizations at OUWB collaborated to make a lasting impact for women in metro Detroit, collecting and delivering essential hygiene products to those in need.

OUWB’s Student-Run Free Clinic recently led an annual feminine hygiene product drive. Held Dec. 2-16, 2024, this year’s drive collected 9,835 pads, 8,473 tampons, 296 bras, and 282 pairs of underwear.

In addition to SRFC, participating OUWB student organizations included the OB-GYN Interest Group, Medical Students for Choice, the Student National Medical Association, the Association of Women Surgeons, the National Arab American Medical Association, and the Pediatric Interest Group.

“It's important to remember that period products or feminine hygiene products aren't just a luxury and that they're a basic necessity for all women, and no one should have to struggle to afford them,” said Rana Amoush, M2, co-director, SRFC.

Students worked closely with Catherine Pokropek, M.D., assistant professor, and OB-GYN at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital (WBUH) and Mission OB-GYN, and Emma Randall, M.D., OUWB ’22, OB-GYN, WBUH, to place donation boxes throughout Michigan, including Corewell Health locations in Dearborn, Troy, and Farmington Hills. 

Donated items went to the Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic in Pontiac, Michigan Women’s Health Institute in Farmington Hills and Troy, First Choice Urgent Care in West Dearborn, and OB-GYN clinics in Troy and Rochester. SRFC also partnered with the Detroit Chapter of I Support the Girls (ISG), a national organization that works to end period poverty.

Outside of clinics and community centers, the drive also branched out to other distribution areas, including workout facilities, such as YogaSix in Rochester Hills and Pilates Methods in Birmingham.

“We didn't only go to clinics, we also distributed to gyms, yoga studios, and Pilates studios. That was successful in terms of branching out beyond health care,” said Amoush.

The expansion was made possible through increased collaboration with student organizations and the introduction of alternative donation methods. Organizers also highlighted the success of contributors donating through the Amazon wish list and Venmo. Social media also played a crucial role in this year’s success.

“Another reason it was super successful is we utilized social media this time, which SRFC didn't have last year,” said Amoush. “Aside from that, we emphasized it through word of mouth at school and with our friends.”

Additionally, SRFC worked with residents at Corewell to share announcements, further boosting awareness and participation.

The direct impact of the drive was evident at the clinics where these products were distributed. Allyson Tayag, M2, co-director, SRFC, explained how she could see it firsthand.

“We put out this little cart of all the period products and the donations that we received. We're able to physically see all the donations that patients are accepting when we come back at the end of a clinic day to an empty cart,” said Tayag. “It's reassuring to us that the efforts that we put in are able to last us from one feminine hygiene product drive until the next year.”

The drive also strengthened the sense of community at OUWB and beyond.

“I sent out a quick email to different organizations on campus that we thought might be interested, and people were more than willing (to assist),” said Tayag. “It was nice to see that when you reach out to people, (they) are more than willing to come and help out and put in their own work.”

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