SHEBOYGAN - Lauren Ries, co-owner of Six Turtles Boutique, 833 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 102, said one goal for the store is to host a community initiative and event every month.   

For September, Six Turtles is hosting a feminine products drive the week of Sept. 6 and a Ladies' Night Out Sept. 8.  

Feminine products taken to Six Turtles will be donated to Sisterhood Wellness Inc., 841 Riverfront Drive, a community-funded nonprofit that aims to empower women to make healthy choices.

Those who take donations to Six Turtles will also receive 20% off their purchase. 

One in four people who menstruate have struggled with getting period products, which can lead to missed school and work, low self-esteem, and use of materials like toilet paper and socks that aren’t intended for menstrual hygiene, according to Sisterhood Wellness (SisterWell for short).

“I think our belief is we want to try and help our community in any way that we can,” Ries said about hosting the feminine products drive. “And obviously being a female and having to buy feminine products every month, it's expensive. You don't get a lot of help from state aid in buying that. So I think if there's a way to help other women have access to that product, I think that's a home run.” 

BadgerCare, WIC and food stamps assistance programs don’t help with menstrual care, according to SisterWell.  

“... It’s just kind of a large gap, a black hole almost,” Pam Jankoski, executive director of SisterWell, said.

As part of its “ending period poverty” services, SisterWell accepts pads and tampons of any absorbency, unused leak-proof cloth menstrual pads, unused menstrual cups, unused menstrual underwear of all sizes, individually wrapped hand wipes and brown paper lunch bags that can be used to package one cycle’s worth of products.  

SisterWell is looking for businesses to host feminine products drives like Six Turtles because its supply is depleted, Jankoski said. The organization gives out products to schools to give to students in need as well.

Those looking to donate products can also use a donation box outside of Sheboygan Massage, 841 Riverfront Drive.  

The Six Turtles’ Ladies Night Out event on Sept. 8 will have three hour-long sessions between 5 and 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and include a customized shirt and a 20%-off discount on all purchases. Spots are still available and those interested in attending can sign up on Six Turtles' website under the Events tab. 

Before opening Six Turtles, Lauren and her husband Mike started an online store, Shop Mike and Lauren, in 2016 so they could take their oldest sons to Disney World. 

Mike continued running the online business during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Lauren worked an outside job.  

They expanded their business, opening Six Turtles in October 2021 as part of the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation and the city’s 2021 PopUp Shop Initiative. 

“We love being part of the community," Lauren said. "We love getting to know people and giving back."

Last month, Six Turtles had a school supply drive for Longfellow Elementary School and a teacher appreciation event.  

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Lauren said the business also aims for size inclusivity, with almost everything they offer ranging from an extra small-small to a 2x-3x.  

Having more sizes fits with Six Turtles’ mission to empower women to feel beautiful and confident, she said, and is especially important for boutique shopping, which typically offers a smaller range of sizes.  

“It's also important to me that it's something that's going to look good on all sizes,” Lauren said. “It's easy to say, ‘Oh yeah, that comes in a 2x or 3x.’ But it's not going to flatter them. They're not going to feel comfortable in it.

"We want people who come in to try stuff on and to leave feeling like, ‘Oh my gosh, I've never had a pair of jeans fit me like this,’ or ‘I've never felt this good in a dress.'” 

Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @alexx_garner.