Vending

Birmingham middle-schoolers combat hygiene insecurity with vending machine

Photo: Adobe Stock

May 9, 2025

Middle school students at South Hampton K-8 School have developed a vending machine project aimed at addressing hygiene insecurity in the Ensley, Alabama community, according to a WVTM 13 report.

The sixth and seventh graders packaged donated menstrual pads, tampons and baby diapers for the machine, which will dispense these items free of charge.

The initiative stemmed from the students winning a $10,000 community-based STEM competition after learning about the prevalence of hygiene insecurity.

"It's amazing. It's an amazing feeling. All of us really worked hard," Jason Walton, a seventh grader involved in the project, told the news outlet.

Users in need can request access via the website hygienehubbhm.com and receive a QR code for two free items monthly at Renew Birmingham in Ensley. The vending machine is equipped with a scanner to track usage without monetary transactions, and community sponsors will ensure it remains stocked.