Hygiene is essential to a long and healthy life.
As a teenager, it is an important time to gain good hygiene habits that will be carried on throughout life.
According to an article by Unicef, “Good hygiene is critical for preventing the spread of infectious diseases and helping children lead long, healthy lives. It also prevents them from missing school, resulting in better learning outcomes.”
“Kids just come here and we normally have our cabinets that have deodorants, body sprays, and change of clothing like socks, underwear, shirts, so they come in here and we show them where it’s at,” Judy McDowell a nurse at GEHS said. “We also have combs, hairbands, dry shampoo, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. We’re kind of like a mom shop.”
If these items aren’t enough to live a healthy life then the nurses can give Joys Closet coupons. Joys Closet has many clothing items, house items, and more.
“They can send kids to the counselor’s department ’cause they have it too,” McDowell said. “We also hand out for people in need if a kid needs like these items and clothing we have Joys Closet coupons for them to take to Joys Closet and it allows them to spend up to 25 dollars there and it doesn’t cost them anything.”
The nurses are always willing to take in more items such as clothing, and body care items.
“Well, if they have the clothing and stuff, they can bring them in here [the nurse’s office] and I go through them because there’s guidelines we have to follow here at school, if they don’t [meet the guidelines] then I ship those clothes to Joys Closet so either way their being used the way you want them to,” McDowell said. “You know those body sprays that you get for presents and you end up not using or you just don’t like them we take the donations to let somebody else use them. So that’s a thing that we wouldn’t mind getting because we go through them a lot and other kids like them.”
If feeling embarrassed about using these resources then there is a bathroom next to the nurse’s office that has the same items provided.
“We always keep body sprays and deodorant in the bathroom next to our office and that’s an open bathroom to the public so if you’re embarrassed to come in here and ask for supplies we keep that in the bathroom,” Kristi Dye a nurse at GEHS said.
On the other hand, the nurse’s office is always open from the time they get here around 7:40 to the end of the school day.
“We just want them to know that resources are here and if they need anything they can come in here,” Dye said. “Never be embarrassed if you don’t want to say it out loud just pull one of us to the side and we’ll fix it. It’s not a big deal we do it every day. We want them to come down and feel free to do that especially if they’re in a hurry and didn’t have time to.”
Even if these hygiene items are at home it is nice to know some good tips.
“It’s very good now that the kids are in high school that they do shower every day and that is including using soaps,” McDowell said. “Deodorant is key because they have a gym and most of the time you have to put it on twice. We don’t want the kids making fun of them because some kid’s body odor is a little stronger than normal.”
If you ever feel like judging someone remember that the same things could happen to anyone, especially high school students who have a lot on their plates and it might go right over their heads.
“Some people are in a hurry in the mornings or they are in sports and they get here at like 6 in the morning and they just forget which I totally get and that’s why we do this,” McDowell said.
