“I didn’t think Project F would get this big until I realized everyone else noticed it was a cool idea,” said Emily Manisone.
Manisone was in between work but was determined to do something with her time instead of sitting at home. Project F was created to raise money to purchase feminine care products and give them to young girls in the Rockford region. The fundraiser started on August 20th and is continuing to surpass expectations.
The original goal of Project F was to raise $500 by October 1st. In less than a week, Project F hit its original goal, but Manisone didn’t stop there. In less than two weeks, Project F more than doubled its goal. In three weeks, the project raised $1,800. As of week four, Project F has raised more than $2,200. In addition to cash donations, Project F is collecting supplies such as individual packets of feminine wipes, tampons, and makeup bags.
Project F is also donating care packages to multiple Rockford organizations such as the Rockford Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (RAASE), MELD, and Remedies Renewing Lives. “I’ve never seen a fundraiser like this before in the area. Now we help all females in Rockford with Project F,” said Manisone. 135 bags were donated to RAASE. These bags were filled with tampons, pads, disposable razors, deodorants, and other feminine care products.
Supply donations have been delivered from all around the Rockford region and even out of state from Florida, Iowa, Maryland, and Tennessee. “The more I speak about feminine hygiene products, the more everybody else feels comfortable about it. That’s exactly what I want. It’s normal, it’s reality, it’s a female’s life,” said Manisone.
Project F wasn’t just created to raise money. The project is also raising awareness of the fact that feminine care products are not a luxury but a necessity and a lot of families can’t afford to purchase them.
“Nearly two-thirds of females in low-income families in cities cannot afford hygiene products which are a necessity,” Manisone explains. Every care package that gets sent out from Project F also contains a “You Are Beautiful” sticker as a reminder to all of the girls who received packages from the project. The project has been a huge success since it went live on August 20th and has been rapidly spreading via social media and local media organizations as well.
Project F has already helped many girls in the Rockford region and continues to grow and reach further than originally anticipated. You can donate to Project F and learn more about the project through Emily Manisone’s personal Facebook account.
