In early June, when most teenagers were dreaming of beach days and summer freedom, 16-year-old Jenna MacKenzie was counting tampons and toothbrushes in her parents’ garage in Charlottetown.
“No young person should have to choose between buying lunch or buying personal care products,” MacKenzie told me last Tuesday, as volunteers sorted donations behind her. “It started as a small idea for my school’s community service project, but it’s grown into something much bigger.”
MacKenzie’s Teen Health Essentials Drive has collected over 7,000 items since launching in May, with distribution points now established in schools and community centers across Prince Edward Island. The grassroots initiative addresses a growing concern among Island health advocates: teen hygiene poverty.
According to data from Statistics Canada’s 2022 Canadian Income Survey, nearly 14% of Island children live in households experiencing poverty. Provincial health officials acknowledge this often translates to difficult choices about personal care necessities.
“When families struggle with food insecurity, items like deodorant or menstrual products become luxury purchases,” explains Dr. Martha Sullivan, a family physician in Summerside who volunteers with the initiative. “The health implications can be significant – from preventable skin infections to missed school days during menstruation.”
The province’s Department of Health and Wellness has taken notice. Last week, Health Minister Mark McLane visited one of the drive’s collection centers, announcing a $15,000 grant to help expand distribution through the summer months when school-based resources aren’t available.
“What Jenna and her team have accomplished highlights a service gap we need to address more permanently,” McLane said. “Their work aligns perfectly with our youth wellness strategy.”
The initiative’s impact reaches beyond physical health. At Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside, guidance counselor Rebecca Thompson has witnessed the emotional toll of hygiene poverty firsthand.
“Students skip school because they’re embarrassed about body odor or being unable to manage their periods,” Thompson shared. “Having these products freely available restores dignity and removes barriers to education.”
What distinguishes MacKenzie’s approach is the careful attention to teen-specific needs. Donation bins request products rarely found in standard care packages: acne treatments, athletic deodorants, and teen-friendly hair products.
“Most donation drives focus on basics, which are absolutely essential,” MacKenzie explained as she showed me their inventory system. “But we’re also trying to include items that specifically help with teen confidence and social comfort.”
The drive has sparked important conversations about youth wellness across the Island. At a recent community forum in Montague, parents, educators and health professionals gathered to discuss sustainable solutions to hygiene poverty.
Morgan Peters, coordinator for the PEI Poverty Reduction Action Plan, believes the teen-led initiative reveals important gaps in existing social supports.
“Young people often fall through the cracks of our systems,” Peters noted. “Adult poverty programs don’t always consider the unique social pressures teenagers face. This drive has helped identify blind spots in our approach.”
Local businesses have stepped up with surprising enthusiasm. Island pharmacies now offer “buy-one-donate-one” promotions on teen health items, while Charlottetown’s Northwood Dental has donated over 500 oral hygiene kits.
“The community response has been overwhelming,” said Rachel Godwin, MacKenzie’s mother and unofficial logistics coordinator. “We started collecting in our garage, but quickly needed to move operations to the community center as donations poured in.”
The initiative has drawn support from unexpected quarters. The Charlottetown Islanders hockey team arrived last Saturday with their equipment bags filled with donations and stayed to help sort items.
“Many of us remember what it was like not having what you needed as a teenager,” team captain Noah Wilson said. “When you’re worried about basic stuff like deodorant, you can’t focus on being a kid or playing sports or doing well in school.”
Perhaps most striking is how the initiative has transformed into a youth-led movement. What began as MacKenzie’s project now involves over 40 student volunteers from schools across the Island, managing everything from social media outreach to inventory logistics.
Fourteen-year-old volunteer coordinator Sam Trainor has developed a scheduling system ensuring donations are sorted within 48 hours of arrival.
“Adults are sometimes surprised teenagers can organize something like this,” Trainor told me with a slight eye roll. “But we understand these needs better than anyone. We see our classmates struggling every day.”
The provincial government’s interest suggests the teen-led initiative might influence longer-term policy. Health Minister McLane indicated the fall legislative session could include discussion of permanent funding for school-based hygiene programs.
As the summer progresses, MacKenzie’s team faces their biggest challenge: maintaining momentum when school support networks aren’t operating. They’ve partnered with community libraries to serve as distribution points during July and August.
“Summer can actually be harder for teens facing hygiene poverty,” MacKenzie explained. “Summer jobs often require looking ‘presentable,’ but without school resources, many can’t access basic products.”
For now, the garage-started initiative continues expanding across PEI communities, driven by teenagers who understand precisely what their peers need.
As I left the volunteer center, MacKenzie was training new volunteers on their distribution protocol, emphasizing dignity above all else.
“We make sure everything is packaged discreetly,” she told the group. “When someone needs these items, the last thing they want is attention drawn to it.”
In a province often celebrated for its tight-knit communities, these teenagers are addressing a need that had remained largely invisible – proving that sometimes the most effective solutions come from those experiencing the problems firsthand.
