Ribbon cutting set for new hygiene supply closet at St. James High School

St. James High School will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony today, October 17, at 10 a.m. to unveil a new hygiene supply closet designed to support the health and well-being of students.

The project is a partnership between the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) Office of Public Health in Region 3 (South-Central Louisiana) and Aetna Better Health of Louisiana. The hygiene closet will provide students with free access to essential personal hygiene products, including wet wipes, soap, deodorant, menstrual pads, tampons and other toiletry items. The initiative is intended to help students who may not have access to these supplies at home.

The hygiene supply closet project was led by the LDH Public Health Region 3 team beginning in 2023. The project idea came from a series of health and hygiene presentations tailored to male and female students that revealed some students lacked the resources or knowledge necessary to maintain proper hygiene.

Aetna Better Health of Louisiana contributed more than $30,000 to purchase products to stock hygiene closets in schools throughout St. James, Lafourche, St. John the Baptist, Terrebonne, Assumption and St. Charles parishes.

"We are proud to partner with Aetna Better Health of Louisiana to provide students with the tools they need to feel confident and take better care of themselves," said Region 3 Medical Director Dr. Eric Brooks. "Knowing about proper hygiene and having access to hygiene products is critical to ensuring students have a positive learning environment where they can learn and grow."

The ribbon cutting will be held at St. James High School, 22187 Highway 20, Vacherie. Visitors should report to the school office upon arrival.

For more information about the program, contact [email protected] or [email protected], or call 985-449-4761 or 985-449-4762.