‘She Spot’ fills students' emergency hygiene needs at Paterson’s John F. Kennedy HS

PATERSON — A program that provides students at John F. Kennedy High School with free personal hygiene products started after a truancy officer last year contacted a teen about her unexplained absence from class.

It turned out the student wanted to be in school, said Chronic Absenteeism Officer Raquel Amador. But the girl had to go home when her menstrual cycle began and she didn’t have any sanitary napkins to keep herself clean, Amador said.

After that, in October 2021, Amador launched her “She Spot” initiative, a program in which students can get a wide variety of personal hygiene products for free. Amador now has 18 plastics bins that stand three across and 4 feet high along the back wall of her office, all containing different types of toiletry items. Despite its name, the program also provides items to boys, she said.

The attendance officer said she distributes the products no questions asked.

“They say, ‘Hi,’ ‘Bye,’ and they know that all I care about is for them to keep coming to school,” Amador said.

City education officials gathered at Kennedy on Tuesday to celebrate Amador’s success and to announce a major donation from Colgate Palmolive that will provide 28,500 products — including toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, and soap — which will be used to stock similar programs at other Paterson schools.

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The districtwide program, which is called “Confidence Closets,” debuted this week at several schools, including Eastside and International high schools and New Roberto Clemente Middle School. Officials said the goal is to expand the program to 33 schools.

“When students aren’t confident in their personal hygiene, they simply don’t come to school,” said Schools Superintendent Eileen Shafer. “And that has a devastating impact on their academics and their aspirations for future success.”

Amador said about six students per day show up at her “She Spot” at Kennedy. One of her regulars is sophomore Genesis Perdomo, who made her first trip to Amador’s program last year after she spilled chocolate milk on her pants. Amador keeps a supply of pants for emergency exchanges.

Perdomo spoke during Tuesday’s event, praising Amador.

“She actually helps me feel safe in school,” said the 15-year-old. “Every time I come here, I bring new girls. Everybody knows the She Spot is the place to go.”

Meanwhile, the donation from Colgate Palmolive presented district officials with a challenge: They had no place to store all that toothpaste and soap. But Pastor Matt Andersen, one of the clergy members involved in the Confidence Closet effort, came to the rescue. He connected the district with Grace Redeemer Church in Glen Rock, which had warehouse space available.

Clergy participants have collected 2,500 hygiene products for Confidence Closets, he said.

“Quite literally the Lord is multiplying our ‘loaves and fishes’ through donations from companies like Colgate Palmolive,” Andersen said. “However, the need is still great as we continue to push to set up Confidence Closets at all 33 district locations. The greatest need is for deodorant and feminine hygiene products.”

Donations sought

Officials said items may be donated at the Paterson Public Schools Central Office Building, at 90 Delaware Ave. in Paterson, while monetary donations for the purchase of items can be made by check and sent to:

The Fund for Paterson Public Schools

90 Delaware Ave., Paterson, NJ 07503

Payable to The Fund for Paterson Public Schools.

Write “Confidence Closets” in the memo of the check.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ: 'She Spot' fills hygiene needs at John F. Kennedy HS