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Suburban Teen Making Hygiene Kits For Homeless Women

OAK PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- A suburban 14 year old is going beyond the classroom and helping homeless women in a way few people even think about.

CBS 2's Sandra Torres has more from Oak Park, in this Original Report.

It may be a taboo topic, but for 14-year-old Lily Alter, hygiene for homeless women is a priority.

"I didn't realize how big this burden was for so many women," Alter said.

She realized this after working on a project for English class.

"I thought about homelessness, I thought about women's rights and I wanted to combine it in a way that maybe I could actually maybe help people," Alter said.

She took what she learned in the classroom and applied it to the real world.

"A lot of women have to decide between food for their kids, food for themselves, a place to sleep or being healthy and having these sanitary products," she said.

That's where the "flowkits" come in place.

"I'm making these kits and they have enough supplies in them for one cycle," Alter said. "The regular kit is a mix of tampons, pads, pantyliners and sanitary wipes."

Each one of the kits cost about $15. She has raised about $3,000 so far thanks to a GoFundMe page.

"With the money I've made now I could have a year's worth of kits in the Oak Park shelters," she said.

An effort that began with a small idea, to make a big difference.

Lily will begin handing out these "flowkits" at the housing forward shelter in Oak Park next Monday as part of her pilot program. She hopes to raise more funds to expand her program to other shelters in the Chicago area. To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/5ru3km7g.

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