LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) -
The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a higher demand for baby care products like diapers.
“Diaper need is something not covered by other assistance programs, such as if a family’s getting food from a food bank,” said Nell Saunders-Scott, Fund Development Coordinator with The Parenting Place.
Saunders-Scott knows diapers are a great need for families.
“The Parenting Place has been offering free diapers to families who need them since 2015,” added Saunders-Scott. “In 2019, we served a little over 200 families and gave out about 44,000 diapers. In 2020, 450 families received about 400,000 diapers.”
That need inspired young adult volunteers with the Great Rivers United Way’s Emerging Leaders group to aid and start a diaper drive.
“We know that 1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers, and diapers can actually cost up to $100 a month per child,” said Mariah Welke, Great Rivers United Way Emerging Leaders Chair. “It was actually an idea from one of our other group members, and she had heard about some other people that recently did a diaper drive for The Parenting Place and thought that would be a great thing for us to do as well.”
“The parenting place has been a partner with Great Rivers United Way for years, and we’re really lucky to know they are familiar with our programs,” Saunders-Scott said.
The diaper drive kicked off today and runs through March 19 at several La Crosse area businesses.
“About half the diapers we gave out last year were diaper donations that were given to us through drives or people giving us leftover diapers their kids have grown out of, or just picking up an extra box at the groceries,” said Saunders-Scott.
Although some boxes remain empty, Welke says she looks forward to things picking up.
“I hope it continues to grow as we get more promotion out,” Welke said. “We’re promoting on our Facebook and Instagram pages.”
In the end, both say any and all donations will make a big difference for families.
The diaper drive welcomes all sizes of diapers and wipes, but they especially ask for diaper sizes 4, 5 and 6.
A full list of dropoff sites can be found here.
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The Link LonkMarch 02, 2021 at 08:08AM
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United Way Emerging Leaders host diaper drive in La Crosse - WEAU
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