SALISBURY — The Salisbury Youth Council was one of 15 North Carolina-based organizations to be awarded a grant from the NC Department of Administration’s State Youth Council and Youth Advisory Council through its annual mini grant program.

A $500 grant was presented to the local youth council to aid them in developing a feminine hygiene pamphlet along with the purchase of hygiene products to create feminine product bags, with a goal of distributing them at local shelters.

The Salisbury Youth Council, which currently has 26 members on its roster, began in 2013, noted Megan Simpson, a council advisor and the recreation program supervisor with the City of Salisbury Parks and Recreation.

Since its inception, the council has branched out beyond the Salisbury city limits and is now comprised of any ninth to 12th grader who is in Rowan County and attends a county school or is homeschooled, thus allowing them “to reach more in the community,” Simpson said.

Also making up the council are the six advisors, all city of Salisbury employees coming from various departments. The council is under the auspices of the Parks and Recreation Department; and therefore, this is why three of the advisors are with Parks and Recreation and three are from other city departments, she said.

The local council is one of many charters in the state, she continued, and each December, the state youth council office has a mini grant conference where a review and vote on the submitted grants is held.

Simpson shared that they were unable to attend the annual conference, but the proposed project was presented for the mini grant.

In a release, it was noted that a total of $6,292 was awarded with the grantees receiving funding ranging from $250 to $500 to create peer-to-peer activities for high schoolers within their communities.

The process of deciding upon a project for the grant came about in the fall when students on the local council were meeting, shared Allie Elstermann, also a youth council advisor and served as the one who took the lead on the mini grant project. She is employed as the sustainability coordinator with the city’s Public Works Department.

Some of the youth council members expressed “concern about feminine hygiene for people who cannot afford it or who don’t have means to access it,” shared Elstermann.

The students held open dialogue and discussion about the proposed project, and this was the idea they wanted to present to apply for the grant.

This was the students’ idea, she noted. “This wasn’t us driven. It was student. It’s their idea, which was really cool, because high school students really get to make an impact in the local community.” 

Elstermann noted they had just signed the paperwork and are waiting on disbursements, which should be around early March she was informed.

At the March youth council meetings, the students will be updated on what is taking place and then “they themselves will be the ones that are actually doing it and creating the project,” she said. The next steps of the project will then include developing an educational pamphlet, selecting the bags they want to build, along with the supplies they want to place in them and placing them in the hands of those who need them, thus providing the resources and educating them on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and when to seek medical attention.

“We are hoping to create 100 giveaway bags, and reach out to 100 people,” Elstermann said.

The actual giving of the bags is anticipated to take place later in the spring.

“For more than 30 years, the Youth Advisory Council has supported communities and local youth councils through the Mini Grant Program,” said NC Department of Administration Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell, in the release. “These small grants give young people exposure to the grants application process, encourage creativity in supporting their home communities and hopefully nurture a passion for public service while building their leadership skills.”

Funding is awarded to North Carolina youth councils, local government agencies, non-profit organizations and agencies interested in developing innovative programs that are directed by youth, and involve youth in project development, implementation, evaluation and writing of the grant proposal.

When they learned that they were a recipient of one of the grants, Elstermann said the reaction was one of excitement.

“It was really exciting to hear that we got the grant and to make these students’ vision become a reality.”