Sparked by her Social Justice class and a desire to win the prestigious Gold Award, lifelong Girl Scout Ella Delatush ‘25 is spreading the word to combat period poverty in her community and beyond.
Delatush said, “After learning about [period poverty] in Social Justice class, I realized it was a huge issue in our community.” In the Morristown area and worldwide, low-income women often face a lack of access to menstrual products, education and hygienic facilities, resulting in missed school and work days.
Motivated to increase awareness about its serious consequences, Delatush created a presentation for high school students, which she recently shared with an audience of over 250 students at DePaul Catholic. Her presentation is also scheduled at over 20 schools in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts, with an estimated audience of 2500 students.
This project is proof of the transformational potential of youth-led action and the potential long-lasting effects of community-driven solutions. Through her unrelenting commitment to fighting period poverty, Delatush inspires optimism for a more just and compassionate future for everyone.
“Girl Scouts has provided me with the opportunity to develop my leadership skills and grow as a person,” Delatush commented. “Mrs. Bongo, my troop leader, is amazing and we have eleven girls still in the troop, which is almost unheard of for eleventh grade students.” She enthusiastically added, “And there are four to six of us trying to get our Gold Awards.”
The Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in the organization, represents a dedication to leadership development, community service, and personal development. It asks participants to work on a sustainable project that reflects the Girl Scouts’ basic values and tackles a critical issue in their community.
Delatush shared, “I hope to continue my work in social justice in college, but I plan to go into business, especially finance.”
