The Nappie Project, a Larimer County-based diaper bank and nonprofit, has been recognized by Gov. Jared Polis in a proclamation declaring Sept. 21-27 “Diaper Need Awareness Week.”
When co-founder Jan Touslee tells strangers about the work done by her organization, she said some assume they’re sending aid to families overseas.
“I had someone ask, ‘Oh, so you bundle up these diapers and send them overseas to poor countries?’,” she said. “No; there are families with a need for them in Loveland, and Fort Collins, and Berthoud, and Windsor.”
In fact, since the beginning of the year, the organization has distributed 178,470 diapers to its partner agencies to be handed out to Larimer County families in need.
The project was started in 2015. Since the start of the pandemic, Touslee said demand has surged as new partners have connected with them. In July, 25,519 diapers were distributed, compared to just 13,865 in February.
The Nappie Project was considered a “critical business” in the early days of the pandemic and was allowed to continue operating despite countywide restrictions on gathering.
Touslee called diaper need a “vicious cycle” in terms of its impact on the ability of parents to hold down jobs and make enough money to provide for their children.
“If parents don’t have enough disposable diapers, their children may not be able to go to child care, and they may not be able to go to work,” she said.
She noted that most child care facilities don’t allow cloth diapers, and said the recent coin shortage has also made it harder for lower income families to access laundromats. Diapers also cannot be purchased using food stamps.
While the direct impact of unemployment and underemployment is that parents may not make enough money to buy the diapers their children need, she also guessed that familial stress may be causing behavioral issues among children, further pushing demand.
“We’re attributing it to an increase in familial stress, where children are reacting to the stress in their households and regressing in toilet training,” she said.
The Nappie Project’s partner agencies in Loveland include the Loveland Food Share, Birthline of Loveland, First Steps Nursery, Life Choices, the Salvation Army, and Foster and Adoptive Parents of Larimer County.
On Friday, agency representatives drove to the headquarters of Realities for Children, located between Loveland and Fort Collins, to pick up what they estimated they would need for the month.
After loading several containers of diapers into her vehicle, Stephanie Alley of Neighbor to Neighbor said 21 of the families that her organization works with have benefited from diapers through the Nappie Project since the two agencies partnered in April.
“It could not have come at a better time,” she said of the partnership. “It’s been so helpful and our families have said it’s been so helpful during this period.”
Linda Franklin of Salvation Army Loveland — whose husband, Chris, picked up diapers for the ministry on Friday — also said families have been “incredibly appreciative” of the free diapers, and mentioned that the ministry has also seen a surge in those seeking rent assistance since the start of the pandemic.
Touslee said she hoped the recognition from the governor would help publicize the plight of families.
“I’ve seen parents break down and cry,” she said. “We’ve had a tremendous response from families who are just so grateful, who would stand in line for diapers rather than food.”
“We’re hoping that makes people aware that this problem even exists.”
The project purchases diapers using donated funds and also accepts donated diapers. Touslee said they have the most need for size 5 and 6 diapers as well as pullups.
Information about donating and accessing diapers through the project is available at https://thenappieproject.org/.
The Link LonkSeptember 19, 2020 at 10:46AM
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Nappie Project earns recognition from Gov. Polis in proclamation of ‘Diaper Need Awareness Week’ - Loveland Reporter-Herald
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