Did you know that 1 in 3 families in America don’t have enough diapers to keep their babies (and toddlers) clean, dry, and healthy? 1 in 3. That’s a staggering number. These families don’t have enough diapers to send with their children to daycare. They may have to dry and reuse disposable diapers. And according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research, the poorest 20% of Americans with children in diapers spend 14% of their post-tax income on diapers.
You, and I, and our communities…we can help!
I’ve partnered with AWHONN through the Mom It Forward Blogger Network to host a diaper drive and bring diaper need awareness to my community. My hope is that you’ll consider donating diapers to help a baby experiencing diaper need – read on to see how you can help.
AWHONN’s Healthy Mom & Baby, Huggies, and the National Diaper Bank Network are working together to collect diapers for everyone who needs them during Diaper Need Awareness Week, which takes place September 26-October 2, 2016.
You can donate to a local diaper bank by finding one in your area here. You can also donate money online. However you donate, your contribution will be helping babies stay dry and healthy – and it will take some pressure off parents who are struggling to make ends meet.
Be sure to record your donations to see the nationwide tally grow!
I hosted a diaper drive in my community and invited local bloggers (and a few of their kiddos!) over to eat some snacks and drop off some diapers. I also had several members of my community participate.
Together, we collected over 1000 diapers and 480 wipes – and there are more coming!
Here are some tips if you want to host diaper drive of your own (you can do this anytime during the year – and I think it’s a great way to get involved in your community!).
First, make sure you have a local diaper bank that you can deliver your donations to! If not, consider collecting money or having people make diaper purchases on Amazon and have their diapers mailed to a bank.
If you’re in the North Texas area, you can do so using Amazon Wish List! Baby Booties Diaper Bank is a diaper bank in McKinney. Click here to visit their Amazon Wish List, where you can purchase diapers via Amazon to be sent directly to the bank. Simply add a pack of diapers from the list to your cart, proceed to check out, and be sure to select Baby Booties Diaper Bank’s shipping address from the list. Your diapers will go straight to their door and be distributed to families right here in north Texas.
Spread the word! You can share on Facebook with your friends. If you have a Facebook group for your community or town, share there. You can also talk to local churches and moms’ groups.
Set a date. I chose one date and encouraged people to drop diapers off at that time. But because I knew I needed to be flexible to have as many people participate as possible, I offered to both pick up diapers or take them all week.
Tally your diapers and report the number here.
For more information about donating or hosting your own diaper drive, check out the Healthy Mom & Baby website.
If you are in need of diapers, find a diaper bank in your area here.
