We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Phyllis Tucker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Phyllis below.
Phyllis, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I was a couple of years into trying to raise my 9-year-old great niece. I decided we should serve in the church together and we volunteered to pack for BackPack Buddies. Before a Wednesday night service, we met another lady and her 2 children to pack bags of food for underserved children. It had been a long hard day at work and I was exhausted from caring for my niece and my elderly Mom. We started packing bags but the children only wanted to kid around and play. It was hot in the tiny room we were working in and I started complaining internally to God about why couldn’t people take care of their own, why did I have to go through all this? I felt Him saying Feed my Children to me, but I argued In a non-audible voice I heard Him say to me “What about the girls”. This hit me very hard. I thought if a Mom can’t feed her children, for whatever reason, you know they can’t afford to buy very expensive feminine hygiene products for their young girls. I was in a little bit of a shock.
I was blessed to be in a career/job that I could leave if I needed but so many moms can’t leave their jobs. For days afterward the thoughts of young girls and moms didn’t leave my mind and heart. I thought about my own experience when I started my monthly cycle and started asking other women about their experiences. I grew up in a time and home where it was not spoken of. My 3 big sisters told me all about it but I said it would never happen to me. The stories ladies have about this time in their lives are mostly sad and not acceptable at all.
By Saturday morning I was feeling very burdened about all these thoughts and what I could do to change things. My niece had spent the night with a friend so I didn’t have her to care for. After praying that morning I told God that I was going to go to some yard sales and if He really wanted me to do something He could supply me with cute makeup bags (I just love them) and I would put some pads in them and send with the Backpack buddies to the school our church supported. Well, he supplied me with about 15 bags that day!
That afternoon I posted a pic of the bags on my social media page and told everyone what I was doing if they wanted to join me and donate some products to go into these bags for this school. Obviously, this brought a lot of comments and after a few conversations and prayers, the Girly Bags mission had started! It quickly went from supporting one school in Savannah/Chatham County to ALL schools in Savannah/Chatham County and Liberty County (where I work). Next, we moved into Effingham and Bryan County schools. Over the years we have supplied the Girly Bags program to organizations in 5 other states and several other countries.
Children should not have to go without because their families can’t afford, for whatever reason, to supply their needs. I struggled with this because I have always had to work extra hard for everything in my life. But when you have children I do understand that you can only stretch a dollar just so far!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Girly Bags’ main business is filling cute makeup bags with feminine hygiene products and delivering these to school nurses. Inside the bag, you will find 4 ultra-thin maxi pads, 2 flex foam maxi pads, 4 pantiliners, 4 hygiene wipes, a small lotion, and 3 Hersey kisses (because at a time like this, a girl needs chocolate!). We also developed and include a postcard in each bag that explains what is happening and that it is okay and normal. On the other side of the postcard, it shows how to use the products and how to care for yourself. In addition to these, we also help with other items as requested and needed. We have supplied washing soap, chapstick, toothpaste and toothbrushes, belts, socks, uniforms, etc. If the nurse has a need and asks we reach out to our community and ask for donations and support.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Girly Bags is totally donation and volunteer-based. We have no fundraising or sponsorships.
My church, The Cathedral in Berwick, has supported this outreach. Volunteers pack the Girly Bags and deliver the bags to the schools.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to learn to ask people for help. Being fiercely independent, this proved a hard lesson for me. Fortunately, I have a good reputation and a strong network to support me and believe in the mission. I’ve rarely asked and got a hard no for support! It just amazes still today how giving people are in this world. Many of them want to do they just need someone to ask for support.
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