At a visit to Zoo Miami when my oldest was under 2, I realized halfway through the park that I had left the diapers at home.
My daughter was in desperate need of a change. What was I to do? I looked around and saw another mother, around my age and with a few kids, at least one in diapers, running around. I approached her and with a bit of embarrassment, asked if she had an extra diaper. She immediately took one out of her bag, and asked me if I wanted more. She was a little angel for me that day. An angel for my daughter, too.
My diaper-less situation was temporary. When I returned to my home I would find packs and packs of diapers. The diaper-less situation isn’t temporary for so many other mothers across this country. They return to their homes and will not find any diapers. These mothers face my challenge every day, with every diaper change. They don’t know when they’ll have another diaper. They don’t know where they’ll get another diaper. They aren’t needing to ask for just one diaper, the need much more than that.
Diaper Banks
Diaper-banks have been started by individuals like Lisa Truong who launched Help a Mother Out in the spring of 2009, and now supports 22 social service agencies in the Los Angeles area and beyond. Rev. Rebecca Hines of Destiny Diaper Bank in Cape Coral, Florida supports 12,000 families in her region who are in need of diapers and other toiletry supplies. These mothers have made helping other mothers their mission. As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, it is necessary to remember those mothers who struggle. They struggle to get job, keep jobs, buy food, find shelter and provide diapers and other hygienic necessities to their families. The hearts are full of love for their children, but their wallets aren’t.
Diaper NEED Facts
- 1 in 3 families in the U.S. struggle to buy diapers for their children
- Most free/subsidized childcare programs require parents to provide disposable diapers
- You cannot use Food stamps or WIC for diapers
- For many families in crisis this can mean being forced to choose between buying diapers or other basic needs like shelter, food, and medicine.
Our Call to Action
Help A Mother Out (HAMO), the non-profit dedicated to providing diapers for homeless and low income families, has launched a national Mother’s Day Call To Action with a goal to raise $30,000 to support the work to get diapers to families in need. They are asking for your support! They are asking you to donate money to help them reach their goal.
What’s Next?
- Help a mother out by donating towards the Mother’s Day Call to Action.
- SHARE this post on your Facebook page to let others know of this necessary call to action. (Different sharing options are listed below.)
- If you blog or tweet, please consider posting about this campaign.
I look forward to learning how you respond to this Mother’s Day Call to Action.
Hi Caroline!
What a great cause! My heart just sinks when I realize the enormity of an issue like this. When I had my babies, I mainly used cloth diapers but there were times that I had to use a disposable diaper, i.e., travel or another circumstance. I cannot imagine not having diapers available. I think that providing Diaper Banks are a GENUIS idea! WOW! Thanks for sharing this.
Vanessa
Vanessa Jubis recently posted..Boston: A view
Caroline, I’m glad to see you’re bringing this to the public’s attention. Until I read this article, I didn’t realize the struggles some were having to provide a hygienic necessity such as diapers to their children. That’s very sweet of you to make this cause your Mother’s Day Call To Action. Thanks for taking the time to inform and inspire! You rock!
Thanks Nick! It’s so impressive to learn the stats on diaper need. I was part of the Huggies Every Little Bottom campaign as a blog ambassador a few years back. Now I look for opportunities to continue spread the message of this great need.