Way to Go: Comsewogue student collects hygiene products
Isabella Gordon, a sophomore at Comsewogue High School in Port Jefferson Station, with some of the items collected in her community project to help low-income and homeless women. Credit: Gordon family
A student at Comsewogue High School has been helping low-income and homeless woman access personal hygiene products.
Isabella Gordon, a sophomore at the Port Jefferson Station school, launched her project, "Hygiene For All," in September after watching a video on YouTube about how difficult it can be for homeless women to afford necessary personal hygiene items.
She discussed her idea with school administrators, created a Facebook page to promote her efforts and collected nearly 300 pounds of items — including more than 100 boxes of feminine hygiene products and dozens of tubes of toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, among other things.
The items went to a "stuff-a-bus" campaign held last month at the high school to benefit Island Harvest in Mineola, Gordon said. The campaign was part of the school's homecoming festivities.
"I was very happy and so proud of my community," Gordon, 15, said, noting she aspires to become a midwife. "I believe everyone deserves access to products that help them live a healthy life. I'm very grateful my project will help so many people in the community and around Long Island, and I look forward to continuing my passion."
Gordon's other activities include having spent nine days this summer at a camp in Hyde Park with other young women from around the world, through the Eleanor Roosevelt Center's Girls Leadership Worldwide program.
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
