We Had to Cancel Today, But We Can’t Cancel the Mission

A Personal Note from Nickeya Hannah, Creator of Hygiene First LLC

Today, May 30th, was supposed to be a special day.
Girls from our community were scheduled to join us for our Scents & Cycles Workshop, an experience designed to be equal parts fun, educational, and empowering. The girls would have created their own custom scents, participated in interactive Myth vs. Fact games centered around menstrual hygiene, and left with hygiene kits filled with resources, products, and educational materials to support both them and their parents.
Instead, today looks very different than I imagined. Unfortunately, we made the difficult decision to cancel the workshop. Only one participant RSVP’d, and due to the costs associated with hosting the event, we simply could not move forward as planned. Of course, we immediately issued a refund, offered our sincere apologies, and promised a complimentary ticket to our next workshop.

But if I’m being transparent, this one hurt. Not because of the financial loss. Not because of the logistics, but because I know what was missed.

What was missed was a safe space.

What was missed was an opportunity for girls to ask questions they may not feel comfortable asking anywhere else. What was missed was laughter, learning, confidence-building, and honest conversations about topics that too many girls still navigate alone. As women, many of us can remember what it felt like to start our menstrual cycle without fully understanding what was happening to our bodies.

Today’s workshop may not have happened, but the mission remains unchanged.
We need more partnership.
We need more collaboration.
We need more community support.

I remain committed to finding sponsors, community partners, businesses, schools, organizations, and individuals who believe in this work. My goal is to continue creating experiences that are low-cost—or even free—so that every girl who needs access can participate.

Let’s challenge ourselves to do better.
#LetsDoBetter

With gratitude and hope,

Nickeya Hannah
Creator, Hygiene First LLC
www.HygieneFirstLLC.com