It all began in the spring of 2014. I was searching online for a place to donate some open diapers that my son, Mike, outgrew. My search lead me to the DC Diaper Bank.
It was there I learned some startling facts about the diaper gap in America. I was shocked to find out that WIC doesn’t cover diapers. I also found out what parents are doing to keep their baby’s tushie dry – laying a wet diaper out to dry to reuse later and ‘scooping’ the poop and putting the diaper back on. This is, without a doubt, a health issue. Leaving a child in a wet diaper increases their chances to develop painful diaper rash.
I sat on this information for a few days and really thought about how I would feel, as a new mom, if I couldn’t afford to keep Mike healthy with clean diapers. Each time I changed his diapers (12 a day at this point), I was thankful for the ability to do so.
I couldn’t keep quiet anymore, so I set a goal of collecting 3,100 diapers in a month to donate. I reached out to my family, friends and contacts and ask them to donate diapers, wipes and rash cream. What happen next truly amazed me.
Boxes of diapers began showing up. My PayPal account was alerting me multiple times a day with monetary donations. DC News Channel 7 emailed me. When all was said and done, I was 9 diapers away from 8,000. Thankfully, I had 10 handy in the diaper bag!
Those 8,001 diapers went to St. Martin’s Ministries in Caroline County Maryland where there is a need, but no access to a diaper bank.
Now, a year later, I am doing it all over again and this time with a goal of 10,000 diapers. Visit the 12 4 1 2015 page for how you can help. And spread the word!
