Items offered from the cart include men’s and women’s deodorant, lotion, dental floss, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste with toothbrush, soap, body wash, and a feminine products bin (Photography by Lily Shook).
Cranberry’s Care Cart
By Lily Shook | March 19, 2026
New accommodations are available right outside the Nurse’s office door at Cranberry Area Jr. Sr. High School.
The school is implementing a hygiene cart filled with a variety of essential products, thanks to school nurse, Laura Allaman. The cart provides students with access to items such as deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products.
“Sometimes you just need some deodorant to keep in your backpack, or the pads and the tampons,” Allaman said. “Sometimes you need a toothbrush and toothpaste, because it's life. Even when you're older, you carry that stuff with you at times. I just wanted everyone to have access to that.”
Taking inspiration from the school’s Cranberry Cupboard, which provides food and other necessities for students, Allaman developed the idea to create a space focused not on digestive health, but on sanitation and personal hygiene.
“We all want to have goals in life, and [taking care of ] your personal hygiene is important to everybody,” Allaman said. “When you feel good about yourself, you're going to express yourself in a more positive manner, which then helps everybody. When we're all feeling our best, we can give the best to everybody else, and I think that's important.”