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Ransom Everglades School incoming senior Maya Fern started a community service organization called Enough for Everyone. The organization collects feminine hygiene products and donates the products to Lotus House Women’s Shelter.
She started her organization in her sophomore year.
Growing up, she noticed that the topic of periods made the people around her uncomfortable. She often wondered why something so natural felt like a big secret. This silence and discomfort frequently lead to these issues being ignored, especially for homeless women.
She says she started her organization to ensure no woman has to face these challenges alone or in silence. She bought the website name, she made an Instagram handle and then started collecting.
Starting an organization that talks about menstruation and collects feminine products would be difficult for most teens, but Fern says she’s always been very political and would bring up feminine issues with her family.
“The first drive was difficult.” she says. “That didn’t discourage me, rather it was an incentive to try harder. I continued to post on Instagram and contacted everyone I thought could help. It’s always been a topic of interest to me. I love the fact that the conversation is shifting. It’s ridiculous that we are ashamed of this. It’s normal. I would bring the controversial discussion to the table.”
Along with collecting menstrual products, the organization also raises awareness about stigmas surrounding menstrual health. She does that through social media.
She collaborates closely with her younger sister who is going into her sophomore year at Gulliver. Students from Gulliver and other schools volunteer at her events.
Plans call for chapters in local schools and on a national scale, including Gulliver Preparatory, Palmer Trinity School, Ransom Everglades, as well as schools in Maryland and North Carolina.
“We have collected over 600 products and donated them to a local women’s shelter,” she says. “Additionally, I bring volunteers to the shelter’s volunteer opportunities while advocating for menstrual hygiene in both political and educational environments.”
Fern volunteers at community outreach events hosted by Lotus House. At those events, they donate food, diapers, and other basic necessities to the community.
Fern is also involved in BBYO, the Jewish teen organization. She is a member of the
chapter that meets at the Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center, and she is
an officer on the regional board.
Last year she was the vice president of Jewish Enrichment and Community Service.
This school year she’s the Miami Region’s Aym Ha’Chaverot, which means she’s in
charge of recruitment and maintaining membership numbers.
Being a member of BBYO gave her a sense of community and helped her cope with the
antisemitism she felt at her former school. She’s happy that Ransom Everglades is far
more welcoming.
At Ransom, she is a member of Model United Nations. She started Model UN at her old
school and attended conferences where she won numerous awards.
She hosted information sessions over the summer about Model U.N. They are going from attending two conferences to five including an international one.
Now Model UN members meet every week. In order to build the group, she spoke to the
middle school Model UN club to convince the kids to join the high school club.
“I love the teaching aspect of being president, as it allows me to guide the members and
watch them grow,” she says.
For college, Fern wants to major in political science or international relations. She plans to apply to colleges where she will be intellectually challenged and be active in social change.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
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