The Miramonte Intersectional Feminist Alliance (MIFA) partnered with Her Drive on April 29. Her Drive is a non-profit organization that donates feminine products, menstrual products, clothes, toiletries, and other goods to underprivileged and displaced communities. The organization focuses specifically on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. MIFA collected donations in a box in the Wellness Center from April 27 to May 7.

“Her Drive is a donation drive that supports individuals that lack access to basic hygiene necessities, primarily women. ‘Her Drive’ is a nonprofit organization that originated in Chicago before branching out to the entirety of the U.S. I was inspired to bring Her Drive on campus as a contribution to MIFA and initiate our first project with the co-presidents,” MIFA member and junior Aya Banaja said.

The Her Drive organization began in Chicago, Illinois, in June 2020. “We provide bras, menstrual care, and general hygiene products to people in need in an effort to combat period and hygiene poverty,” the Her Drive website said. The most recent statistics on the site show that the organization raised 11,027 new or gently-used bras, 165,104 menstrual care products, and 100,072 general hygiene items since its founding.

“The Her Drive is important because so many people still do not have access to resources that would significantly improve their quality of life,” MIFA president Anaya Budayr said. “These items are expensive and can’t always be purchased by homeless people and individuals in underprivileged communities, which is why it’s important for us to provide them with the support they need. One of our purposes as a club is to do what we can to support marginalized communities, especially locally where we have the most impact.”

Banaja and MIFA co-presidents Budayr and junior Zoe Moga applied to host their own drive to the official organization through a Google form sent directly through the Her Drive website to the Executive Team, led by college students Alexa Mohsenzadeh and Jenica Baron. Once approved by Mohsenzadeh and Baron, MIFA set up a box in the Wellness Center and designed an informational poster raising awareness for the fundraiser. 

“Products accepted by Her Drive are necessary items such as pads and tampons, or items like bras, socks, deodorant, hair care products, and so much more! You can scan an on-campus poster, and a list of all accepted items will appear on your screen! If you can’t donate, you are always encouraged to spread the word to others who may be able to!” Banaja said. “The goal of this drive is to empower and educate the next generation of youth leaders to work to eliminate period poverty in their local communities!”

This is the first large event hosted by the MIFA Club. Along with this project, Budayr and Moga have been working with the rest of the club on getting added consent and sexual assault education in the mandatory tenth grade Human and Social Development classes. Additionally, Budayr and Moga facilitate discussions on intersectional feminism and issues concerning women and women’s rights at their weekly meetings on Mondays at 1 p.m.