Cold Spring Harbor High School student Harry Jones was inspired by parents who said they have to make heartbreaking financial choices, so he set out to make their lives a little easier.
The 11th-grader raised money and collected 10,000 diapers — and counting — over three weeks for local families in need.
Jones, 16, a student ambassador for the Save the Children Long Island Council over the past four years, wanted to organize a charity drive that would not entail just donating money. Save the Children is a nonprofit that aims to help children attain the right to survival, protection, development and participation regardless of race, gender, orientation or socioeconomic background, according to its website.
"During the pandemic and trying to social distance, I thought what could be easier than ordering diapers through Amazon and having them delivered to my house, and it just grew from there," he said.
According to his mother, Carolyn Jones, a video sent to ambassadors from the president of Save The Children Long Island Council featured stories of families from the Greater DC Diaper Bank highlighting choices some parents have to make: pay the rent, buy food, or buy diapers. That sparked Jones' initiative in mid-February.
At first, he contacted diaper companies for donations and social media influencers to get the word out, but didn’t get very far. He then reached out to his Long Island community, and the diaper drive took off.
Cold Spring Harbor school district and public library, the Cold Spring Harbor Warriors Soccer Dads, St. Patrick's Church, Huntington Public Library and the Huntington YMCA were some of the organizations that allowed receptacles to be placed in its buildings. The drive also made it into one church bulletin.
Town of Huntington had a receptacle in Town Hall, where dozens of diapers were collected by staff, who are the only people allowed in the building because of COVID-19 restrictions.
"Harry’s generous and conscientious spirit should serve as an example to all our young residents and we were thrilled to participate in this worthy cause," Supervisor Chad Lupinacci, said in a news release.
He recently presented Jones with a pin of the town seal for his efforts.
The diapers will be distributed to Long Island families through the Family Service League, a nonprofit social service agency that provides support and security to more than 50,000 local residents each year, according to its website.
Karen Boorshtein, president and chief executive of Family Service League, said workers in the agency’s program see the same needs in Long Island communities that Jones witnessed in the video that inspired him.
"We’re grateful that Harry, a young person, already has philanthropy in his bones and is giving back to the community," she said. "Collecting the diapers for us will benefit so many families who are making hard choices that we all hear about, but we see it day in and day out from the families we serve, ‘what do I do, do I get diapers or pay my rent today.’ No one should have to make those choices."
Diaper drop
Family Service League is still accepting diapers. Donations can be dropped off at its administrative offices at Family Service League, 790 Park Ave., Huntington, NY 11743.
April 01, 2021 at 03:48AM
https://ift.tt/3fw63ec
Teen collects more than 10,000 diapers for LI families - Newsday
https://ift.tt/2Comt7j
Diapers
No comments:
Post a Comment