About

Hello! I am Sophie Draluck, the founder of Cycle Forward and a current sophomore at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where I am studying International Studies and Business in the Huntsman Program. I came up with the idea for Cycle Forward when I read an article about the link between school absenteeism among teenage girls and the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products in Uganda and other African countries. I saw how a single problem was creating big ripple effects that deeply affected the lives of so many girls. Suddenly, this basic necessity for those who menstruate started to seem not basic at all, and I realized that people in our own country might face similar challenges and difficulties in obtaining menstrual products. In fact, as I began to meet with shelters and food pantries, I learned that menstrual products are among the most requested, yet least donated items. 

The simple truth is that tampons and pads are expensive, averaging around $8 a box at my local Walgreens and CVS, they continue to be taxed as a luxury in a majority of states, and women in need are not even permitted to buy them with SNAP cards. Yet, these are essential items that women cannot leave the house without. Access to menstrual products empowers women by enabling them to fully participate in their communities and their lives, and I wanted to do what I could to help ensure access for those in need, which is how Cycle Forward was born. I began by identifying a lack of access to essential menstrual products in my own community, and in the greater Chicago area, and from there Cycle Forward expanded to other areas, including major operations in Ft. Myers, Florida, thanks to our wonderful volunteers who are located there. Cycle Forward also now donates products internationally by partnering with a women’s shelter in London, a foundation that empowers teenage girls in Fatehabad, India, and a school that strives to provide quality education for girls in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Cycle Forward and I continue to seek opportunities to partner with volunteers in other states in the U.S. in order to expand our reach and impact, and we welcome hearing from interested volunteers at cycleforwardnow@gmail.com.

In addition to founding and running Cycle Forward, I am a 2020 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award recipient, a 2019 HERlead Fellow, and an activist in The Menstrual Movement, including serving as an organizer and speaker at Chicago’s first ever National Period Day Rally in October, 2019, and speaking at Chicago’s Fourth Annual Young Feminist Conference in November, 2019. I am also passionate about international exchange as a means to cultivate understanding of those who are different from ourselves.  

Cycle Forward and I have been recognized for our efforts in attempting to solve period poverty and achieve menstrual equity with the following honors and awards:

Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards Recipient, 2020

Voices Social Justice Grant Recipient, Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago — 2020

HERlead Vital Voices Project Grant Recipient  — 2019

Power of Children Award, Children’s Museum of Indianapolis — 2019 National Award Winner

18 Under 18 Honoree, Springboard Chicago — 2019

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards — 2018 Bronze Medalist, Distinguished Finalist

The President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award — 2018

Named one of the “20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans” by StreetWise –- 2018