YARMOUTH, Maine – HME providers have stepped up in acts both big and small to prove the COVID-19 pandemic has also brought out the best in people.
National reach
180 Medical, a national provider of disposable medical supplies, was inspired by an article in the New York Times calling attention to a shortage of diapers, wipes and other essential needs for children and individuals with special needs, says employee Jessica Jared.
“This (was) due to the surge in panic buying,” she told HME News. “180 Medical donated thousands of cases of diapers. These diapers went to charitable organizations, including World Vision, CNY Diaper Bank and the Englewood Health Foundation.”
The Oklahoma City-based company also made the news when it returned $10 million in unsolicited CARES Act funding, says Jared.
“Because the CARES Act funding was for businesses in need of assistance as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, 180 Medical believes it could better serve others in need,” she said.
Local focus
Choice Medical’s Kevin Henning has focused not only on his six employees, who he’s kept employed throughout the pandemic, but also his community of Ames, Iowa. Every Wednesday, he buys his employees lunch from a locally owned business to show his support, says employee Jami Tharp.
“He has also gone out of his way to support other businesses if they need it and offered his support in any way they need it,” Tharp told HME News. “DME companies and their employees often get overlooked in times like this because nobody thinks about just how essential they are.”
OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Most of us have a story to tell from the beginning of the pandemic when it comes to the shortage of toilet paper. But can you imagine being a parent and not being able to get your hands on diapers?
It's a tough decision no parent should never have to make.
"Parents would have to make that choice. Do I buy food, do I buy diapers? I can only afford one or the other," said Renae Bush of Heartland Hope Mission.
But two community organizations, Heartland Hope Mission and Life House, are working together to fill in that gap, giving parents the added support they need.
"Our goal is to end diaper need in the greater Omaha area," said Tegan Reed, executive director of Life House. "We knew our outreach could not reach all of the babies, so we looked for organizations looking to work beside us."
The Heartland Hope Mission was the perfect partner organization.
"Before Life House, absolutely we would run out of sizes the sizes; 4, 5 and 6 are our most requested sizes," Bush said. "We didn't have 4's; we didn't have size 5's."
The need was - and still is - as important as ever.
"Being able to get diapers is a blessing," said mom, Dewanna Parker. "Sometimes different things come up financially, so this really is a blessing for us as it helps us out financially."
Life House gives out about 5,000 diapers a month to different organizations, comforting more than a thousand kids.
"This is a scary time; a lot of people don't even know what tomorrow looks like," Bush said. "Being able to give that hope to people that really need it right now it has been rewarding."
Heartland Hope Mission says they usually serve about 45,000 families per year. Right now they are on track to help 65,000 families.
Brandon Tomes Subaru saw the need in the community after attending a diaper drive recently.
Brandon Tomes Subaru sells a lot of cars, but right now, it’s a great place to go if you’re in the market for new diapers.
“I’d rather be known for what we’ve done in our community than selling a bunch of cars,” said owner Brandon Tomes.
Technically, the dealership isn’t giving away diapers, but Tomes says for the month of July, he and his staff are trying to collect 50,000 diapers for the Baby Booties Diaper Bank in McKinney.
They got the idea after attending one of the diaper bank’s drives and saw how big of a need there was.
“It made us excited because we knew that we could help,” said Tomes.
It’s a need that’s only gotten bigger because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last weekend alone, the diaper bank handed out 41,000 diapers.
So far, the dealership has collected nearly 45,000 itself but would like to collect a lot more before donating them on Aug. 3.
Every donation that’s dropped off will be equally matched by the dealership.
“It just leaves you with a good feeling knowing that being in a position where you can, you did,” Tomes said.
It's proof that you don’t have to buy a new car to drive home happy.
Enlarge/ Jeff Bezos speaks via videoconference during a House Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday, July 29, 2020.
Emails published by the House Judiciary Committee this week confirm an accusation that critics have long leveled against Amazon: that the company's aggressive price-cutting for diapers in 2009 and 2010 was designed to undercut an emerging rival.
That rival, Quidsi, had gained traction with a site called Diapers.com that sold baby supplies. Amazon had good reason to worry. As journalist Brad Stone wrote in his 2013 book about Amazon, Bezos' company didn't start selling diapers until a year after Diapers.com did. At the time, diapers were seen as too bulky and low-margin to be delivered profitably.
But Quidsi's founders figured out how to do it. They optimized their packaging for baby products and positioned warehouses close to metropolitan areas. That not only allowed them to get cheaper ground-shipping rates—it also allowed them to provide overnight shipping to most of their customers—in many cases, faster than Amazon's own shipping.
Quidsi's plan was to gradually expand into other retail categories, much as Amazon had done a decade earlier. If Quidsi's growth had continued unchecked, the company could have become a major Amazon rival. But Amazon made sure that didn't happen—first by launching a brutal price war, then by buying the company. The new emails provide an inside view into Amazon's thinking during this fight.
At Wednesday's hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) confronted Bezos about Amazon's aggressive diaper price-cutting. Bezos responded he didn't remember the specifics.
"What I can tell you is that the idea of using diapers and products like that to attract new customers who have new families is a very traditional idea," Bezos said.
When Scanlon asked how families benefitted from Amazon raising prices after driving out a major competitor, Bezos responded, "I don't agree with that premise." He noted that there were many other places to buy diapers, including numerous brick-and-mortar retailers.
“They are our biggest competitor in the diaper space”
By early 2009, Quidsi's growth had attracted the attention of Amazon executives. "They are our biggest competitor in the diaper space," wrote Amazon executive Doug Herrington in an email obtained by the House Judiciary Committee. "They keep the pressure on pricing on us. They apparently have lower fulfillment costs than we have."
In a followup a few minutes later, he wrote that "we need to match pricing on these guys no matter the cost."
According to Stone, an Amazon executive met with Quidsi's founders in 2009 and encouraged them to consider selling the company. The founders declined. Soon afterward, Amazon slashed its diaper prices by as much as 30 percent.
But Quidsi kept growing. By 2010, the company had earned the loyalty of thousands of young parents and had reached $300 million in revenue.
In June 2010, Quidsi announced it was expanding to a second product category with a new site, soap.com. That got the attention of Jeff Bezos, who asked several subordinates for their thoughts in a June 8 email.
"Given diapers.com's strength and competencies, soap.com is our most significant short-term competitor in the hpc space," Herrington replied to Bezos and other Amazon execs (HPC is apparently a reference to "health and personal care"—one of Amazon's product categories).
"We have already initiated a more aggressive 'plan to win' against diapers.com in the diaper/baby space," Herrington continued. In addition to offering "market leading pricing on diapers," Herrington wrote, Amazon was preparing to launch a new "Amazon Mom" program that offered parents deeper discounts on diapers and related products if customers signed up for a subscription.
Amazon ratchets up the pressure
Quidsi's founders didn't want to sell their company, but Amazon's diaper price war was starting to hurt Quidsi. Growth was slowing, and Quidsi was having trouble raising additional capital to continue expanding.
On September 14, the founders of Quidsi flew to Seattle to meet with Amazon and discuss a possible acquisition. As Quidsi's founders were sitting in a meeting with Amazon brass, Amazon hit Quidsi in the gut. It announced a new program called "Amazon Mom" that offered free Prime service and an additional 30-percent discount on diapers if users signed up to get them through Amazon's monthly "subscribe and save" program. This was a larger discount than Amazon offered on most other Subscribe and Save items.
This put Quidsi in an untenable situation, as Stone writes:
That month, Diapers.com listed a case of Pampers at $45; Amazon priced it at $39, and Amazon Mom customers with Subscribe and Save could get a case for less than $30. At one point, Quidsi executives took what they knew about shipping rates, factored in Proctor and Gamble's wholesale prices, and calculated that Amazon was on track to lose $100 million over three months in the diapers category alone.
Amazon's losses may have actually been even larger. During Wednesday's hearing, Scanlon said that internal documents obtained by the committee showed Amazon losing $200 million in a single month from diaper products.
Amazon knew it was bleeding Quidsi dry. An internal email later in September discussed the price cuts Quidsi was forced to make to compete with the new Amazon Mom discounts. "They expect to lose lots of money in the next few yrs," wrote executive Peter Krawiec. "This will make it worse."
Quidsi didn't have the money to fight a lengthy price war with Amazon, and venture capitalists were reluctant to give Quidsi more cash to fight what looked like a hopeless battle. So in November, Quidsi reluctantly signed a merger agreement with Amazon.
“I don’t remember that”
When Stone was writing his book, an Amazon executive told him that (in Stone's words) "everything Amazon subsequently did in the diapers market [after mid-2010] was planned beforehand and unrelated to competing with Quidsi." But the newly released emails contradict that claim. Herrington specifically listed the Amazon Mom rollout as part of Amazon's "aggressive 'plan to win' against diapers.com." Later in the same email, Herrington wrote that "to the extent this plan undercuts the core diapers business for diapers.com, it will slow the adoption of soap.com."
Amazon's claim is also hard to square with the company's actions post-acquisition. Stone notes that "a month after it announced the acquisition of Quidsi, Amazon closed the [Amazon Mom] program to new members." Then a few weeks later, as the Federal Trade Commission was giving the deal unexpectedly close scrutiny, Amazon re-opened Amazon Mom—but with smaller discounts. In effect, Amazon hiked diaper prices soon after the acquisition.
When Scanlon asked whether Bezos had signed off on raising diaper prices after the acquisition, Bezos pled ignorance.
"I don't remember that at all," he said. "We match competitive prices. I believe we followed diapers.com."
The FTC ultimately approved the deal. Amazon initially let Diapers.com continue as a separate service but shut it down in 2017.
RANSON — When beginning an outreach to meet local needs, theBridge Community Church believed that the best way to help the community was with its youngest members.
At the Community Diaper Giveaway this Saturday, the church team intends to supply approximately 100 families with diapers and other child care supplies.
“We’re giving away diapers, wipes, limited child-friendly food bags and other household supplies,” Jennifer Satterlee, missions and outreach coordinator of the church said. “Our main focus is to give away diapers that should last them two weeks.”
According to Satterlee, deciding to offer diapers came after directly assessing the needs of the community.
“We as a church staff meet weekly to discuss how to best serve our community,” Satterlee said. “Several of us have been approached by people who need diapers, because that’s not something covered by assistance programs. I did some research, and I found that weren’t really any places in our local area to help with that, so we want to meet that need.”
The first come, first-serve giveaway will take place Saturday in the parking lot of Birthright of Jefferson County located at 103 S. Mildred St. and is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and end at noon, or until supplies last.
All the supplies provided to families at the giveaway have been donated by church members, but the church is looking to expand the ministry on a more regular basis with the partnerships of local volunteers, business and organizations.
“We feel that outreach is very important,” Satterlee said. “We want to not just exist in our community, but be a part of it.”
Another local summer tradition that’s a little different this year: WestSide Baby‘s “Stuff the Bus” diaper drive. No in-person bus stuffing this time around, but no shortage of need … as WS Baby explains, “So far this year we have already distributed over 1.1 million diapers, about the same amount that we typically distribute in an entire YEAR!” The goal of this summer’s “Stuff the Bus” is to raise enough money for 350,000 more diapers, and WS Baby is still 50,000 short of that. If you can give, there are multiple options here.
diapers.indah.link Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. (GeekWire File Photo / Kevin Lisota)
Amazon’s aggressive strategy to beat out a competitor a decade ago came back to haunt the company Wednesday in a Congressional hearing with CEO Jeff Bezos and other tech leaders.
Members of the House subcommittee on antitrust grilled Bezos on a heated price war Amazon fought with Diapers.com — and internal documents released by the panel Wednesday provide a window into the e-commerce giant’s strategy at the time.
Amazon viewed Diapers.com parent Quidsi as a top competitor, fearing new parents would be lured in by baby supplies and then become customers of the company’s other verticle, Soap.com.
“These guys are our #1 short term competitor … [W]e need to match pricing on these guys no matter what the cost,” said Amazon executive Doug Herrington in an email released by the committee.
As detailed in Brad Stone’s 2013 book about Amazon, “The Everything Store,” Bezos reportedly threatened to eat massive losses and drive diaper prices to zero in order to win. The company also rolled out a new Prime-like subscription for moms and used other tactics to attract new parents.
“We had already initiated a more aggressive ‘plan to win’ against diapers.com in the diaper/baby space, which includes market-leading pricing on diapers … a free PRIME offering for new Moms, and a structured and marketed ‘Amazon Mom’ program … To the extent this plan undercuts the core diapers business for diapers.com, it will slow the adoption of soap.com,” another email from Herrington says.
Documents from the Hearing on “Online Platforms and Market Power: Examining the Dominance of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google" pic.twitter.com/Ypvxhm7asA
— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) July 29, 2020
Amazon was willing to lose $200 million in one month, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon said during Wednesday’s hearing.
Scanlon asked, “Mr. Bezos how much money was Amazon willing to lose on this campaign to undermine Diapers.com?” Bezos said he didn’t recall.
Documents from the Hearing on “Online Platforms and Market Power: Examining the Dominance of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google" pic.twitter.com/Ucg2RbuATb
— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) July 29, 2020
“They expect to lose lots of money over the txt few yrs-this will make it worse,” said Peter Krawiec, another Amazon VP, in an email released by the subcommittee. “They also expect a lot of their growth to come from soap.com which is unproven and less growth from diapers.”
Documents from the Hearing on “Online Platforms and Market Power: Examining the Dominance of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google" pic.twitter.com/YAzsU0nq1P
— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) July 29, 2020
Amid the price war, Amazon acquired Quidsi for $545 million only to shut the company down less than seven years later.
“After buying your leading competitor here Amazon cut promotions like Amazon.Mom and the steep discounts it used to lure customers away from Diapers.com and then increased prices of diapers for new moms and dads,” Scanlon said during the hearing. “Mr. Bezos did you personally sign off on the plan to raise prices after Amazon eliminated its competition?”
“I don’t remember that at all,” Bezos replied. “What I remember is we matched competitor prices.”
Though the documents and incident in question date back more than a decade, they’re relevant today as federal lawmakers and regulators consider whether antitrust laws are sufficient in the digital era.
Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified alongside Bezos during a hearing that capped off a year-long inquiry into the companies. It’s one of several investigations into the market dominance of Big Tech that could lead to new laws if Congress takes action or penalties by enforcers like the FTC and DOJ.
Amazon emails released by the antitrust subcommittee show Amazon's plan to weaken Diapers.com before buying its parent company Quidsi in 2010 (Matt Day/Bloomberg) - Up News Info
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos attends the Amazon Prime Video’s Golden Globe Awards After Party. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, by far the richest man in the world, framed himself and his multinational conglomerate as examples of the American dream in prepared remarks to Congress on Wednesday—remarks that it took the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee months and months to extract.
Bezos provided a brief capsule biography for members of the subcommittee on antitrust somehow not familiar with his life story, mentioning how his mother became pregnant with him as a teenager, his adoptive father was a Cuban refugee, and his grandparents were ranchers in Texas. As a plucky young investment banker, Bezos says, he decided to take a risk on himself, following the great tradition of American capitalism.
“Unlike many other countries around the world, this great nation we live in supports and does not stigmatize entrepreneurial risk-taking,” Bezos said in opening remarks during Wednesday’s large tech antitrust hearing. “It feels like just yesterday I was driving the packages to the post office myself, dreaming that one day we might be able to afford a forklift.”
From there, Bezos largely positions Amazon as a trustworthy driver of American business and a ladder for personal and corporate growth, providing jobs and opportunities to millions of Americans. He also highlighted several success stories, all small businesses.
“The very nature of that business is getting products to customers,” he said. “Those operations need to be close to customers, and we can’t outsource these jobs to China or anywhere else. To fulfill our promises to customers in this country, we need American workers to get products to American customers. When customers shop on Amazon, they are helping to create jobs in their local communities.”
Bezos will also be under fire for how Amazon uses customer data, including in the creation of knockoff products that undercut outside vendors on its platform, which was the subject of a blockbuster Wall Street Journal report in April. That report has led the company to come under investigation in the European Union and helped Bezos earn his seat at Congress’s big antitrust hearing on Wednesday.
“We have a policy against using seller-specific data to aid our private-label business. But I can’t guarantee you that that policy has never been violated,” Bezos said when asked about by Rep. Pramila Jayapal about Amazon’s seller data collection.
“We are looking into it,” he said about allegations raised in April’s Wall Street Journal article cited by Jayapal.
Bezos continued to insist that the company did not use third party data to come up with ideas for private label products. He was also hit with questions about how Amazon positions and promotes its own products versus those of third parties.
“Isn’t it an inherent conflict of interest for Amazon to produce and sell products that compete directly with third-party sellers, particularly when you Amazon set the rules of the game?” the committee’s chairman, Rep. David Cicilline asked Bezos.
His response: “The consumer is the one making the decisions,” as if placement was irrelevant to purchasing decisions.
When questioned by Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, Bezos also suggested that he did not remember his dogged pursuit of the internet diaper market. In order to undercut the leader, Diapers.com, Amazon took enormous quarterly losses—up to $200 million a quarter—by bringing down prices to the point that Diapers.com could not compete.
“You said that Amazon focuses excessively on customers,” Scanlon told him. “So how would customers, especially single moms, new families, how would they benefit when the prices were driven up by the fact that you eliminated your main competitor?”
Bezos responded by saying that “diapers is a very large product category sold in many, many places” and then listing a number of physical retailers where people could purchase them.
Ultimately, Diapers.com owner Quidsi was forced to sell to Amazon, which then shut down the brand in 2017.
Later, Bezos was presented by Rep. Lucy McBath with an audio clip from a merchant who said she’d been deplatformed by the retail giant. Bezos said he was surprised to hear the audio.
Many sellers on Amazon have complained about low search rankings and their products being counterfeited by third-party sellers. Rep. Ken Buck detailed the story of Popsockets and its battle against counterfeiting on Amazon.
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Having a baby isn’t cheap. Diapers alone can cost up to $100 a week and during a pandemic it’s an expense many families don’t have in the budget.
Baby Cycle Diaper Bank is doing all they can to meet the need.
According to Baby Cycle, out of Pinellas County, one in three families in Tampa Bay will have to choose between paying their bills or buying diapers for their kids.
“I have one family I deliver to and when I get there she cries every week,” said Noelle Chase, with Healthy Start Coalition of Pinellas. “It's just a blessing to see how big of an impact it has on their day to day life to be able to give them those basic essentials.”
Chase delivers an average of 250 diapers to 10 different families every week on behalf of Healthy Start. It’s one of 31 social service agencies that depend on Baby Cycle for supplies.
“During the pandemic, we are experiencing requests three to four times higher than normal right now,” said Torrie Jasuwan, with Baby Cycle. “Many of them are between a rock and a hard place and not being able to pay for diapers and wipes because they are barely able to pay for their electricity or rent.”
This month, Jasuwan accepted the COVID-19 Hero Award on behalf of Baby Cycle, from Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, for all the work they’ve done to help families.
“We are super grateful and we are hoping that it will bring some new donors in and shed some light on diaper need which is a huge problem in our area,” said Jasuwan.
Chase said when it comes to essential items for your baby, no family should have to live without them, donations are more important now than ever.
“These families that have worked so hard to get to a place where they have been taking care of themselves are now what they consider back at the bottom and trying to start all over again,” said Chase.
Baby Cycle Diaper Bank is holding its annual fundraising gala virtually on August 29. For more information go to www.babycyclefl.org.
The Lower Cape Fear Diaper Bank of North Carolina. (Photo: Kylie Jones/WWAY)
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Since April and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for diapers in the Cape Fear has doubled.
The Diaper Bank of North Carolina (DBNC) says it expects those numbers to continue to climb as the pandemic continues into the fall.
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To help, DBNC is hosting the Summer Showers Diaper Drive. It is a new way to donate diapers in the era of coronavirus.
(Photo: Diaper Bank of North Carolina)
You can do your part by hosting a drive of your own among your peer group; host a drive-thru drive; or create an Amazon Wishlist and have diapers sent to your address. DBNC needs all types and sizes of diapers.
One in three families in the United States experiences a diaper need. Some are even forced to re-use diapers. In some households, babies and toddlers spend their entire day in a single diaper because their family cannot afford to buy more.
More than 1 million diapers have been distributed to the disadvantaged across the tri-county area of South Florida over the past several months, according to the Miami Diaper Bank, a nonprofit founded in 2013.
There has been a 2,700% increase in direct requests for diapers in South Florida. The financial effects of COVID-19 are driving up demand; and the increasing COVID-19 cases in the State indicate the situation isn’t going away any time soon.
To handle the increased demand, the diaper bank needs your help. Government assistance programs, such as food stamps and WIC, do not cover diapers.
Donations made to Diaper Bank’s COVID-19 Relief Fund will be used to purchase, transport and distribute diapers and baby essentials to the children and families whose lives are impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
To learn more about our COVID-19 efforts, click here. To make a donation, please click here.
Executive Director Gabriela Rojas can be reached at (786) 806-9833. For more information about the organization, visit the organization's website.
Several days after Disney World reopened, park security caught a woman with guns hidden inside a diaper bag. According to reports, authorities also found marijuana in the bag.
Authorities reportedly discovered two guns and a bag of marijuana in a diaper bag near Epcot. (iStock)
Yunique Smith, 27, of Stone Mountain, Ga., was arrested July 18. She faces misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon and marijuana possession, Click Orlando reports.
A security guard reportedly discovered the guns as Smith going through the security line while trying to enter Epcot.
According to the news outlet, she was found with a 9mm handgun, a .45 caliber handgun and a plastic bag containing marijuana. A guard reportedly noticed the 9mm gun in the diaper bag. Smith was with her two children, including a 7-month-old, and an adult man.
The incident occurred only three days after the park reopened after closing in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, NBC Miami reports.
Fox News previously reported that while Disney World has made changes to the park and its policies since reopening, visitors from inside the park have responded positively to these changes.
“I can’t see them doing anything better,” said theme park blogger John Saccheri, who visited the park, according to Fox 35.
He continued to describe how “weird” it felt to be in a theme park and not be caught in a crowd or feel like he was “on top of other people.” Based on his experience, he estimated that Disney limited attendance to about 30 percent of the park’s capacity.
“Every time we went on a line there were stickers that said your party stands here, the next party stands here,” he said. “Everybody was respecting that social distancing.”
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A 27-year-old Georgia mother brought a diaper bag containing two loaded handguns and marijuana to the back entrance of Disney’s Epcot Center during a recent visit with her family, according to Orange County Sheriff's deputies who filed an arrest report.
What You Need To Know
Yunique Smith, from Georgia, was arrested on July 18
She didn't have a permit to carry concealed weapons, according to her arrest report
Disney prohibits all guests from bringing firearms into its theme parks
Yunique Smith of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of cannabis on July 18, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Smith was released from the Orange County Jail on July 20. She is scheduled for an arraignment at the Orange County Courthouse on August 19 for both misdemeanor charges.
An Orange County deputy responded to a report of an Epcot guest with a firearm and marijuana at 6:40 p.m. July 18, according to the authoriities.
Smith, her 7-month-old daughter, 7-year-old son, and the baby’s father were escorted to a back office.
That’s where a different deputy, who was working an off-duty shift at Epcot, “opened the diaper bag and observed the firearm in plain view, as well as a plastic baggie [gallon size] with what appeared to be cannabis,” the report said.
Authorities identified that weapon as a 9mm handgun. The report said, “Smith admitted to him that the gun and the ‘weed’ in the diaper bag belonged to her."
“While searching through the diaper bag, I noticed another firearm in the bottom of the bag,” the deputy said, in the arrest report. He identified that weapon as a .45-caliber handgun.
According to authorities, a records search indicated that Smith did not have a permit to carry concealed weapons. Disney prohibits all guests, even ones with concealed weapon permits, from bringing firearms into its theme parks.
Smith had less than 20 grams of marijuana, the arrest report said.
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- In an ongoing effort to help parents of infants facing financial insecurity, the United Way of Greater Newark has partnered with Project Ready, Mommy Grind, and Newark Mommies to help families in need.
Through the Parent exchange program, donors will be matched with families to provide them with diapers, formula, and baby wipes, free of charge.
"We have families that were already struggling and when you add the pandemic of COVID-19, we're just seeing the need compounded," said Catherine Wilson, President, and CEO of United Way of Greater Newark.
To apply, families must submit an online application or call 211.
Once the application is received, families will have the products delivered to their door.
To qualify, families must reside in Newark, Irvington, East Orange, West Orange, South Orange, Orange, Belleville, Nutley, Maplewood, Kearny, Harrison, East Newark, or North Arlington.
"As long as we have donations and the funding available, we are going to continue to do it. We are also some grant funding for this program and 100% of the donations that come in for this program go to the program," Wilson said.
If you're interested in donating, visit the United Way of Greater Newark website for more information.
The New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF) and New Jersey’s major food banks are joining forces to address two crucial and overlooked areas of intense need: disposable diapers and feminine care products.
After conducting surveys, NJPRF has quantified the need faced by the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFNBJ), Fulfill, and the Food Bank of South Jersey: 3.25 million diapers and 502,000 menstrual pads to be distributed over the coming months through their networks directly to clients. All four organizations are teaming up for a fundraising campaign to raise $550,000. A $50 donation can provide 170 diapers to families in need or 12 women with a 24-pack of menstrual pads.
The campaign is seeded with a $25,000 donation from NJPRF, $100,000 from CFBNJ, $25,000 from Fulfill, and $25,000 from the FoodBank of South Jersey.
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“Even in normal times, one-in-three families are unable to purchase an adequate supply of diapers, and one-in-four women cannot consistently afford feminine products,” said Tammy Murphy, First Lady of New Jersey and Founding Chair of NJPRF. “National studies repeatedly show that reliable access to these products is crucial to physical, emotional, and economic well-being.”
Neither diapers nor feminine care products are available to be purchased with SNAP (formerly called “food stamps”) or Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) federal assistance programs, making it crucial that NJPRF step-up to address this urgent need.
CFBNJ, Fulfill, and the Food Bank of South Jersey report that they have less than a month’s supply of diapers and feminine products to support their network partners. Without this support, Food Banks are struggling to meet the increased demand from new clients – of which many are seeking assistance for the first time in their lives – and returning, traditional clients.
“We are proud to be partnering with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Fulfill, and the Food Bank of South Jersey for this crucial program,” said Josh Weinreich, CEO of NJPRF. “New Jerseyans care for and support one another, especially during times of need. That is why we are excited to launch our targeted donation portal, which allows our generous donors to send help where and how it’s needed most.”
Weinreich said NJPRF would be using the hashtag #Jersey4Jersey to share information about future targeted campaigns and encouraged all donors to use social media to help raise awareness.
To donate to this campaign, visit NJPRF’s new “Specific Needs” donation portal. In addition to diapers and feminine care products, NJPRF will update the portal with various fundraising campaigns for much-needed supplies for people, families, and organizations throughout the state of New Jersey. The NJPRF would also like to thank Aaron Price and his team at TechUnited:NJ, along with Mike Papetti of Opsulent, for their diligent work in helping to launch these initiatives – a real Jersey helping Jersey story.
The Impact of Lacking Access to Diapers to Period Products*
57% of parents facing diaper needs have missed work or school when childcare programs require parents to provide diapers — only making it harder to afford other necessities
73% of parents say a lack of diapers causes them to feel like inadequate parents, causing further emotional stress
33% of low-income women have had to wear a period product for longer than its recommended use, putting them at increased health risk
20% of low-income women report missing work, school or similar events due to lack of access to period supplies, exacerbating and perpetuating this cycle of need
*Statistics taken from National Diaper Bank Network and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey
New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF) exists to meet four critical challenges of our state in the face of the COVID-19 crisis: stop the spread, support the healthcare community, provide help for the vulnerable, and rebuild our communities. NJPRF supports organizations that provide essential services and aiding those on the front line of the pandemic. One hundred percent of all online donations will go directly to help those in need. Visit NJPRF.org to donate.
Neighborhood House, a local non-profit that serves families in King County, is holding a Diaper Drive:
Did you know that diapers are not covered by public benefits such as WIC or food stamps, even though they are essential items for families with young children?
We live in a region that is powered by one-day deliveries and bulk purchases but the reality is that many people cannot afford and do not have access to these services.
Please join us in making sure families and children have diapers right now.
Neighborhood House, a community organization that serves 16,000 people in King County, is hosting this drive to meet this critical need.
$25 covers 2 weeks of diapers for one child.
$50 covers 1 month of diapers for one child.
$150 covers 3 months of diapers for one child.
You can even host your own campaign.
Learn more about making a donation here: www.nhwa.org.
diapers.indah.link The Edmonds Food Bank helped provide diapers for Cordy Harris’ baby, center, shown here with her siblings.
When Edmonds resident Cordy Harris got furloughed from her movie theater job in March, she worried about providing food for her young family — and diapers for her infant.
At one point — before the stimulus check came through and unemployment benefits kicked in — she used dish towels because her supply had run out.
“It makes you feel like a failure as a mother,” she said.
Harris isn’t alone in her struggle to purchase enough diapers. Even before the pandemic’s devastating economic toll, one in three American families reported experiencing diaper need, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. That’s only gotten worse in recent months as diaper banks across the country have reported “astronomical” increases in demand.
While diapers have always been a popular item at the Edmonds Food Bank, the pandemic has heightened the need, said Executive Director Casey Davis. From March to June, about 100 new families with children ages 0-3 joined the food bank, she said.
“We had more people come over from surrounding areas and use our food bank because we could address their need for diapers,” she said. “They were more than grateful.”
Not just discomfort
While there are obvious health links between inadequate diaper changes and skin irritations or urinary tract infections, research suggests the lack of diapers also increases parental stress.
Caregivers who feel they can’t provide this basic need often see their confidence falter as their emotional burden grows. That parental stress can take a toll on a young child’s health and development, experts say.
“If you’re worried about supplying diapers for your child, that really doesn’t leave a lot of room for attachment and bonding and doesn’t allow for a feeling of self-efficacy and confidence often in parenting,” said Megan V. Smith, an associate professor of psychiatry in the Yale School of Medicine in a recent Center for Health Journalism Covering Coronavirus webinar.
Those points resonate with Julie Turcotte, the grandmother of Harris’ young children who helps care for them. If there are only two diapers left until the end of the week, you’ll make them last — and that can undermine your confidence as a caregiver, she said.
When you see a child’s swollen diaper and know they’ve been sitting in it too long, it’s a “pit of your stomach feeling,” she said.
Helping the most vulnerable
For parents of young children facing food insecurity, buying diapers is an ongoing issue because disposable diapers are “ridiculously expensive,” Davis said. Plus, many of the food bank’s customers don’t have access to a washer and dryer for reusable ones. Federal assistance programs such as WIC and food stamps don’t provide diapers and they can be costly for food banks to offer.
Years ago, the Edmonds Food Bank received a grant to offer diapers. When they witnessed the clear need, they decided to continue with the program, which now provides about 16 diapers a week plus wipes per child.
While that’s not enough to cover complete usage — infants require up to 12 diapers daily while toddlers need up to eight, according to the National Diaper Bank Network — the hope is that it puts a dent in the expensive purchase for cash-strapped families.
Now that the Edmonds Food Bank is a nonprofit, Davis hopes to apply for more grants to expand the diaper program.
“I don’t want a parent to have to make the decision: Do I let my child sit in a dirty diaper or do I put food on the table?” she said.
The pandemic has added another layer to the challenge of providing diapers, she said. Suddenly, they weren’t just costly, they were hard to come by. Stockpiling diapers forced the food bank’s buyers to search the area, hitting up multiple stores in the quest to find a sufficient supply. When community members offered to help the food bank, Davis sometimes asked them to purchase diapers at retailers that had imposed limits.
In recent months, they’ve been distributing about 4,000 diapers a month on average, an increase over the same period last year.
For families who are already experiencing other worries, knowing your baby has a clean diaper is a much-needed relief, said Turcotte, who added that the diaper offering has helped her own family tremendously during these tough times.
“There could be so many things to worry about that you don’t want to worry about diapers,” she said.
— By Kellie Schmitt
This article is part of an ongoing series exploring the impact of coronavirus on the life, work and health of Edmonds residents. If you or someone you know has a story to tell, please email us atmyedmondsnews@gmail.com. For other stories in this series,click here.
New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund Launches Fundraising Campaign for Diapers and Feminine Products
(Morristown, NJ) – The New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF) and New Jersey’s major food banks are joining forces to address two crucial and overlooked areas of intense need: disposable diapers and feminine care products.
After conducting surveys, NJPRF has quantified the need faced by the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFNBJ), Fulfill, and the Food Bank of South Jersey: 3.25 million diapers and 502,000 menstrual pads to be distributed over the coming months through their networks directly to clients. All four organizations are teaming up for a fundraising campaign to raise $550,000. A $50 donation can provide 170 diapers to families in need or 12 women with a 24-pack of menstrual pads.
The campaign is seeded with a $25,000 donation from NJPRF, $100,000 from CFBNJ, $25,000 from Fulfill, and $25,000 from the FoodBank of South Jersey.
“Even in normal times, one-in-three families are unable to purchase an adequate supply of diapers, and one-in-four women cannot consistently afford feminine products,” said Tammy Murphy, First Lady of New Jersey and Founding Chair of NJPRF. “National studies repeatedly show that reliable access to these products is crucial to physical, emotional, and economic well-being.”
Neither diapers nor feminine care products are available to be purchased with SNAP (formerly called “food stamps”) or Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) federal assistance programs, making it crucial that NJPRF step-up to address this urgent need.
CFBNJ, Fulfill, and the Food Bank of South Jersey report that they have less than a month’s supply of diapers and feminine products to support their network partners. Without this support, Food Banks are struggling to meet the increased demand from new clients – of which many are seeking assistance for the first time in their lives – and returning, traditional clients.
“We are proud to be partnering with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Fulfill, and the Food Bank of South Jersey for this crucial program,” said Josh Weinreich, CEO of NJPRF. “New Jerseyans care for and support one another, especially during times of need. That is why we are excited to launch our targeted donation portal, which allows our generous donors to send help where and how it’s needed most.”
Weinreich said NJPRF would be using the hashtag #Jersey4Jersey to share information about future targeted campaigns and encouraged all donors to use social media to help raise awareness.
To donate to this campaign, visit NJPRF’s new “Specific Needs” donation portal. In addition to diapers and feminine care products, NJPRF will update the portal with various fundraising campaigns for much-needed supplies for people, families, and organizations throughout the state of New Jersey. The NJPRF would also like to thank Aaron Price and his team at TechUnited:NJ, along with Mike Papetti of Opsulent, for their diligent work in helping to launch these initiatives – a real Jersey helping Jersey story.
The Impact of Lacking Access to Diapers to Period Products*
57% of parents facing diaper needs have missed work or school when childcare programs require parents to provide diapers — only making it harder to afford other necessities
73% of parents say a lack of diapers causes them to feel like inadequate parents, causing further emotional stress
33% of low-income women have had to wear a period product for longer than its recommended use, putting them at increased health risk
20% of low-income women report missing work, school or similar events due to lack of access to period supplies, exacerbating and perpetuating this cycle of need
*Statistics taken from National Diaper Bank Network and the Community Food Bank of New Jersey
New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund (NJPRF) exists to meet four critical challenges of our state in the face of the COVID-19 crisis: stop the spread, support the healthcare community, provide help for the vulnerable, and rebuild our communities. NJPRF supports organizations that provide essential services and aiding those on the front line of the pandemic. One hundred percent of all online donations will go directly to help those in need. Visit NJPRF.org to donate.
Tender Mercies Diaper Ministry of First Christian Church will take calls from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday for a diaper distribution to be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 1.
Those wanting to participate should call 256-2887 to schedule an appointment time. The drive-by distribution will be in the parking lot of the church at 422 W. Main St. in West Plains.
Making an appointment is necessary so church volunteers can have the appropriate size diapers bagged for pick up, said organizers. A volunteer will deliver the diapers to the patron's vehicle at their scheduled pick up time.
The ministry serves patrons in West Plains R-7, Fairview, Glenwood, Howell Valley, Richards, and Junction Hill school districts. Living in one of those districts is the only eligibility requirement.
Tender Mercies is an outreach of the church to help families in the local community as they know diapers are expensive and some may welcome help, said organizers. Church volunteers bundle and pack diapers and serve on distribution day to make sure all who are eligible receive diapers.
Procter & Gamble'sPampers brand has introduced Pampers Preemie Swaddlers, diapers designed to support the development of premature infants weighing less than four pounds by protecting their sleep.
Sleep is critical for premature infants as it allows their bodies to grow and their brains to mature and develop. According to a recent study, diaper changes for a premature baby are considered as stressful as inserting a Catheter, Nasal CPAP or Heel prick. With up to six hours of absorbency, Pampers Preemie Swaddlers are carefully crafted to help minimize stressful diaper changes and outside disruptions, such as leakage. The new design also helps support natural positioning to keep preemies comfortable and asleep.
“When babies are in the womb, they have this natural and nurturing environment that allows them to develop, both physically and neurologically,” says Lynn Schuetz, senior director, R&D at P&G. “When they come out into the world earlier than expected, this process is interrupted, making sleep even more critical to their development than normal. That’s why we were so excited to be able to bring this product directly to preemies by distributing it into the hands of the hospitals taking care of them during this most delicate time.”
The new diapers include:
Swaddlers Ultra Leakguards with dual-layered cuffs to lock in leaks
Reversible Diaper Design with ComfortFit including soft, stretchy and re-attachable tabs for a customizable fit
Breathable layers featuring thousands of micro-pores to keep air circulating and baby’s skin dry
Premium softness to provide ultimate comfort for baby’s delicate skin
In addition to focusing on preemies’ development, these diapers were also made with their caregivers in mind. With NICU nurses giving diaper changes anywhere from six to eight times a day, Pampers knew bringing them into the design process was crucial to ensuring Pampers Preemie Swaddlers was its most comfortable and gentle - yet still effective - diaper yet.
“As a category leader in the preemie space, it’s our job to evolve our products as the needs of our babies do,” says Schuetz. “It was therefore important for us to lean into NICU nurses’ knowledge while creating this product. As the ones that watch over these infants and ensure their growth and development is on track every single day, we knew leveraging their insights would be key. As part of our commitment to the healthy, happy development of baby, it includes being committed to those that serve them on a daily basis.”
Pampers Preemie Swaddlers support up to six hours of absorbency for uninterrupted sleep for babies under 1800mg. They can be found in sizes P3 and P2 and are available in select hospitals across the U.S.
Pampers, the brand trusted to be the #1 choice of U.S. hospitals i for more than 40 years, is proud to continue its heritage of supporting the happy, healthy development of babies with the innovation of Pampers® Preemie Swaddlers™ - diapers designed to support the development of premature infants weighing less than 4 pounds by protecting their sleep.
Sleep is critical for premature infants as it allows their bodies to grow and their brains to mature and develop. According to a recent study ii, diaper changes for a premature baby are considered as stressful as inserting a Catheter, Nasal CPAP or Heel prick. With up to 6 hours of absorbency, Pampers® Preemie Swaddlers™ are carefully crafted to help minimize stressful diaper changes and outside disruptions, such as leakage. The new design also helps support natural positioning to keep preemies comfortable and asleep.
“When babies are in the womb, they have this natural and nurturing environment that allows them to develop, both physically and neurologically,” said Lynn Schuetz, Senior Director, R&D at P&G. “When they come out into the world earlier than expected, this process is interrupted, making sleep even more critical to their development than normal. That’s why we were so excited to be able to bring this product directly to preemies by distributing it into the hands of the hospitals taking care of them during this most delicate time.”
Ninety five percent of NICU nurses would recommend New Pampers® Preemie Swaddlers™ size P2 diapers. iii The new diapers include:
Swaddlers Ultra Leakguards™ with dual-layered cuffs to lock in leaks
Reversible Diaper Design with ComfortFit™ including soft, stretchy and re-attachable tabs for a customizable fit
Breathable layers featuring thousands of micro-pores to keep air circulating and baby’s skin dry
PREEMIEum softness to provide ultimate comfort for baby’s delicate skin
In addition to focusing on preemies’ development, these diapers were also made with their caregivers in mind. With NICU nurses giving diaper changes anywhere from 6 to 8 times a day iv, Pampers knew bringing them into the design process was crucial to ensuring Pampers® Preemie Swaddlers™ was its most comfortable and gentle - yet still effective - diaper yet.
“As a category leader in the preemie space, it’s our job to evolve our products as the needs of our babies do,” said Schuetz. “It was therefore important for us to lean into NICU nurses’ knowledge while creating this product. As the ones that watch over these infants and ensure their growth and development is on track every single day, we knew leveraging their insights would be key. As part of our commitment to the healthy, happy development of baby, it includes being committed to those that serve them on a daily basis.”
Pampers® Preemie Swaddlers™ support up to 6 hours of absorbency for uninterrupted sleep for babies under 1800mg. They can be found in sizes P3 and P2 and are available in select hospitals across the U.S. For more information, please visit PampersProfessional.com or Pampers.com.
About Pampers®
For more than 50 years, parents have trusted Pampers to care for their babies. Pampers is a part of The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG) and is the #1-selling diaper worldwide. Every day, more than 25 million babies in 100 countries around the world wear Pampers. Pampers offers a complete range of diapers, wipes and training pants designed to provide protection and comfort for every stage of baby’s development. Visit www.pampers.com to learn more about Pampers products, join the Pampers Club program, and find ideas and information to help you and your baby ‘love the change’ together.
About Procter & Gamble
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.
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i Based on sales of the newborn hospital diaper
ii Newnham CA, et. Al (2009) Measuring preterm cumulative stressor’s within the NICU: The neonatal infant stressor scale. Early Human Development, 85 (35):549-555
iii Based on P2-2020 US In-Hospital New Diaper Performance Survey
iv Sanchez, V, Maladen – Percy M, et al (2018. Improving Diaper Performance for Extremely Low-Birth-Weight Infants. Clinical Pediatrics, 57(9s), 4S-12S
Pampers® Continues to Support Premature Infants With Launch of New Diaper Innovation Designed to Protect Sleep and Promote Healthy Development - Valdosta Daily Times
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Orange County Diaper Bank is providing some much needed help to local families. Recently the Community Action Partnership of Orange County (CAP OC) gave out its 1 millionth diaper during a distribution event at Families Forward in Irvine.
"I feel blessed in many ways right now. Without Community Action Partnership of Orange County, I really don't know how I would be able to afford everything that a baby comes with," said Eliza Mejia, recipient of the millionth diaper. "The struggle would be so great for us."
CAP OC is one of only 5 diaper banks in California. They were originally set to begin diaper distributions in May. However, when the coronavirus pandemic started in March, CAP OC saw the need to help struggling families who had been recently laid off and decided to launch the Diaper Bank program early.
CAP OC President and CEO Gregory Scott explained many struggling families have had to decide between paying rent, buying food and buying diapers.
"We want to take that off their plate to be able to provide diapers so they don't have to make that decision to take care of their babies," Scott told ABC7.
"It's incredibly important to have support for families and diaper banks because diapers are incredibly expensive, " explained Madelynn Hirneise, CEO of Families Forward. "Without these programs families resort to often not having enough supplies to be able to take care of their children."
For more information on the Diaper Bank please click HERE.
