LaKenya Taylor helps found Pad It program, publishes new book

LaKenya Taylor of Cape Girardeau came up with a concept a couple of years ago called Pad It that has helped hundreds of low-income women and girls in the area obtain free feminine products.

"About two years ago, I had this thought," Taylor says. "My husband is the pastor at Lighthouse Cape Church, and I wanted to figure out a way to provide free feminine products to women in Mended Hearts Recovery (an alcoholism treatment center in Cape), and the Safe House for Women."

Through efforts with the Lighthouse Cape Church, Taylor was able to do this.

"Then, in January (of 2017), I called Central High School," she says. "I asked the school nurse if they had enough [feminine products], and how they received them. I was surprised to learn that they were all donation based, and that they didn't have that many available. ... A few days later, the school nurse called me and said that they were completely out, so I took about 700 pads and tampons out there."

After that, Taylor started contacting other schools.

Cutline Email/Stock:PHOTO BY ANDREW J.Cutline Email/Stock:WHITAKERCutline Email/Stock:LaKenya Taylor poses with her book "My Dress is Black, Never Red"at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. Taylor is also the creator of Pad It, a program that provides feminine products to girls at local public schools.

"I called the junior high and middle school here; I called Jackson and Scott City schools as well as Sikeston schools."

All of the schools voiced a need for the free feminine products.

"We now provide them to 11 schools from Jackson to the Benton area," Taylor says. "From January through April of 2017, we gave out over 12,000 feminine products."

Funding and donations for the Pad It program are all community based, according to Taylor.

In addition to Lighthouse Cape, other churches in the area have become involved as well as the Zonta Club, and Tamatha McIntosh Crowson of T Crowson Fitness.

"This summer, Tamatha asked each team (from the boot camp exercise classes she instructs) to bring in pads and tampons [to donate to Pad It]."

The feminine products are given completely free to the girls, according to Taylor.

"They just have to go to their school nurse and ask for them," she says.

The goal of the program, according to Taylor, is simple.

"Pad It is giving feminine products to those that are in need," she says. "They are a necessity."

In addition to starting the Pad It program, Taylor is an accomplished author. She recently published a book entitled, "My Dress is Black, Never Red" through Create Space.

"The book is fiction and is about 70 pages long," Taylor says. "And it has questions and challenges after each chapter for the reader. It's about a woman who is 'in the red' and how she got out of the red and in the black, financially."

The book is available on Amazon, or can be purchased through her, Taylor says. "Some of the proceeds from my book sales go to help fund Pad It," she says.

Taylor, who has multiple degrees in money management, also teaches classes at the Cape and Sikeston Career and Technology Centers from another book she has written called "Improving Your Money Flow."

"I've also taught over 30 free financial classes in the area over the years," she says.

Taylor, and her husband, Adrian, have been married for 17 years, and have one son, Joshua who is 17. Penning books apparently runs in the family.

"Joshua has published two books and has one on the way," Taylor says.

Taylor is also featured on a show called "Faith Focus" that airs every weekday at 6:30 a.m. on the Heartland's CW (WQWQ-TV).

"I'm known on the show as the Money Clues Lady," she says.

According to Taylor, the show also airs both nationally and internationally on the Impact Network.

Taylor plans to have a book signing from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at Riverside Regional Library, 1997 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson.