Each September the National Diaper Bank Network aims to bring awareness of our nation’s diaper gap- a problem that affects 1 in 3 families who struggle to afford diapers. As you would expect, Dirty Diaper Laundry is committed to bringing awareness to the option of reusable diapers as a solution to diaper need for families who are willing and able to use them.
Since it began I have been a supporter of Giving Diapers, Giving Hope. I used my platform here on this website and social media to assist them in finding families to help and to raise funds and diaper donations. Eventually, I became involved in a more official capacity and now I am the Executive Director of this non-profit. I believe in this mission and this charity, if I didn’t I wouldn’t volunteer to run it. Maria Moser (Change Diapers), our Director of Operations, has also supported this charity since the early days and now she spends 7-10 hours of unpaid time each week to make sure our applicants get the diapers they need in a timely manner.
During Diaper Need Awareness Week the media will focus on disposable diaper banks and families who “can’t use cloth diapers” because of daycare or lack of washer and dryer access. Every year we try to showcase that cloth diapers CAN and DO help families overcome that financial burden. To those who say cloth diapers are too expensive we can point to Giving Diapers, Giving Hope for the free cloth diapers they provide for the cost of shipping. Considering that 68.7% of low-income families have a washing machine (2011 US Census Data) in their home cloth diapers aren’t as unreachable as the media would have you think. If families utilize daycare they can use cloth diapers at home for a significant saving (if that daycare will not allow cloth diapers though many do).
Cloth diapers have come a long way and more families are recognizing that they are no more a burden to use than disposable diapers but they offer significant financial savings. They can work for any family of any background and economic situation as long as the family has the tools and the diapers to begin.
Giving Diapers, Giving Hope helps families who face financial struggles. The why’s and how’s are different. Some families have always faced struggles, some are in economically depressed areas where jobs can’t be found, some are disabled and unable to work, some had a medical emergency that has depleted their finances and left them in a hole. It doesn’t matter why; it matters that they need help and we can give it. We decided to share the stories of some of the families who relied on GDGH when they needed help diapering their baby and how cloth diapers have assisted them. Find the stories as they are shared to the Giving Diapers, Giving Hope Facebook page this week.
Want to help? I’ve included a way that you can make a quick, tax deductible donation below. Thank you for helping this cause.
September 26-October 2 is National Diaper Need Awareness Week. This year Giving Diapers, Giving Hope will focus on stories that reflect how cloth diapering (and GDGH) helps families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to begin cloth diapering. 1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers of any kind and there are no public assistance programs that directly provide diaper assistance. Diapers are a basic necessity for babies and using cloth diapers can eliminate that monthly expense, enabling families to use that $60+ per month towards food, power, and the many other bills they face. If you’d like to support our program by donating your gently used cloth diapers or by making a monetary donation (80% of donations directly assist our families through the purchase of diapers and shipping costs) you can find out more here: Donate to GDGH or use these links to quickly make your tax-deductible donation.
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