Ashley McDougal recently started a project. She hopes it grows all over Hampton Roads and keeps blooming for years to come.

In July, she launched Project Bloom, an initiative to create small closets in local schools filled with self-care essentials. She’s looking to stock basic items that are packaged with care and dignity.

Her goal is to have each girl receive a cosmetic bag with the essentials they need.

McDougal said essentials mean different things depending on what life looks like at home. For some girls, it’s deodorant, a toothbrush and feminine hygiene products.

“These are things many of us don’t think twice about,” said McDougal. “What’s as important as the products is that each girl is reminded that she matters and someone sees her.”

Project Bloom was inspired by a comment made by a counselor a few years ago when McDougal was volunteering her time during a Christmas outreach event at a local school. The counselor quietly whispered to her, “Thank you. Some of these kids don’t even have the essentials.”

Project Bloom launched in July and will be “stocking girls with confidence” by providing basic essentials for women in the local schools. (Courtesy Ashley McDougal)

She said that one sentence stayed with her.

Also, it was personal for McDougal. Her mom struggled with an addiction for most of her life and knew what it was like to go without.

“I was lucky to be surrounded by family, friends and mentors who stepped in to fill the gaps and helped me become who I am,” she said. “Everything I do now is just a way to pay that forward.”

With school starting, Project Bloom will be “stocking girls with confidence.” The project is looking for donations of pads, tampons, new bras and underwear, body wipes, toothpaste, deodorant, lip balm, hair brushes, ties, clips, mini cosmetic pouches and encouraging notes or affirmation cards.

You can purchase from a list on Amazon and have it shipped directly to Project Bloom at https://a.co/ccxqqcj . Also, you can help by hosting a drive at a church, gym, office or with a group. Contact Ashley McDougal at 757-761-0043 to drop off items.

“Whether it’s offering support to a nurse, sharing a laugh with a friend or making sure a young girl doesn’t feel forgotten, I’m just trying to be one small piece of something bigger,” McDougal said. It’s not about fixing everything. It’s about noticing what’s right in front of you and choosing to care.”

https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/08/27/self-care-essentials-schools/