You’re in class, and Aunt Flow comes knocking. Shark week, the Crimson Wave, Moon Time — a blessing and a curse, the red mark of femininity does not get along with seven minute passing periods (or the no-fly zone). Us girls know the discreet tampon-in-the-waistband trick all too well. Except when you do not have a pad or tampon. You wait, only hoping that Flow is in a good mood.  

Enter: Team R.E.D. When I first saw the ZipLock bag in the East girls bathroom, filled with a variety of menstrual products for people to use, I felt safe. Girlhood tends to get lost in translation; it is so much more than fighting over boys and toxic competition. These bags, adorned with cute colors and femenist stickers, are a reminder that we are all in this together. 

The brainchild of juniors Natasha Lamouria and Betanya Esayas, Team R.E.D. is an initiative to Respond, Empower and Donate. “We were just kind of brainstorming, and then we realized that there’s a need for what we’re doing right now in the community. There’s huge disparities when it comes to rates of female homelessness and stuff, and when it comes to our school, we just want to make sure that everybody feels taken care of,” said Esayas. 

The two did not stop at simply acknowledging the need, though. Far easier said than done, Lamouria and Esayas wanted to make real, tangible change. So, they did. 

“We have a huge student body, and with COVID there were a lot of reports about female homelessness and not being able to get menstrual products and general everyday needs. We’re one of the biggest schools in the state, so we thought we could mobilize our student body to help our community,” Lamouria added.

This was not an easy process. “Just starting a club was really hard. I thought that if you had an idea, and if it was well meaning that it would be super easy to start. But there’s actually a ton of hoops that you have to jump through,” Esayas explained.

They began trying to establish Team R.E.D. back in the spring of 2021. Among other things, COVID is a club-killer, its artillery a lack of motivation, engagement and resources. But, Esayas and Lamouria’s genuine passion helped them jump through all of those hoops. 

“You have to have at least 10 members, you have to get a whole bunch of fundraising, you have to email activities and you have to get the word out there that your club is a thing to get engagement; it was a really long process. I mean, it took us two semesters to get to where we are,” said Lamouria.

On top of all of that, their original sponsor, Ms. Rossi, an English teacher, left Eaglecrest, thereby leaving Team R.E.D. sponsorless. So, once again, Team R.E.D. was put on-hold at the beginning of this school year. Fortunately, they were able to find a new sponsor: Ms. Pooler.

“Being new at Eaglecrest, I wanted to get involved, and when I looked at the club list, my eyes were immediately drawn to this club because of their mission and the hard work they did last year to donate clothes and products to women’s shelter. I honestly wish my high school would’ve offered something like this, so I was glad to step in,” said Pooler.

The menstrual products provided in the girls bathrooms is Team R.E.D.’s most well-known work so far, but they do so much more. They have held several donation drives to collect essential items for women’s shelters around Colorado. These donation drives address their primary mission– to help women who are suffering, especially because of the pandemic. Their next drive is starting this Wednesday, January 20th. 

“At the beginning of 2021, we got over a thousand items, and we’re starting our next drive next week. There’s gonna be boxes around the school with our flyers, and we will be putting out more information on how to donate everything. That’s our next biggest thing,” said Esayas and Lamouria.

So far, the club has focused on the R and D– responding to the need that they saw in the community and donating to support the cause. But what about the E? 

Empowerment is the center of many of the club’s future goals. 

“In the future, I’d love to have more school-wide events where we can offer students to come and talk about some things they’ve noticed in the building, community, or personal experiences they want to unpack,” Pooler said. “High school can be a chaotic time and we all go through it differently. It would be great to share our experiences and maybe brainstorm ways to help girls in particular feel safer and more supported here at Eaglecrest. We also really want to do a fundraiser involving our female athletes like a dodgeball tournament–stay tuned!”

Clearly, there is a lot in store for Team R.E.D. You can support them by donating to upcoming drives, leaving some of your own extra pads and tampons in the bathrooms, joining Team R.E.D. (they meet on Wednesdays in W321) and empowering the women around you– your friends, teachers, sisters, mothers, and classmates.

“We know that when women stick together and lift each other up, we can accomplish so much more together,” said Pooler. “Even when you don’t want to hear it or don’t believe in it yourself, you are valuable, and the world needs what you have to offer!”