When you think about helping your community and giving back, the first thing you probably think to provide is food. While food insecurity continues to be an issue in many communities, something not as well-known is the struggle many families have in affording diapers. Roughly 1 in 3 families in New Jersey alone struggle to afford an adequate supply of diapers for their infants and toddlers. Broader national surveys also show that nearly 40 to 60% of households worldwide with young kids struggle with diaper affordability.
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) sees that struggle and is currently hosting The Great Big Diaper Drive in hopes of receiving donations and increasing awareness about these struggles that exist right here in our community.
This is now the sixth year of this drive, and this year, the hope is that it’s bigger than ever. The goal is to receive $2,000 in cash donations and 2,000 pounds of products. In addition to diapers, people can also donate wipes, adult incontinence products, and other needed items. The drive is currently underway and will run until the first week of November.
People can make monetary donations online, and the FoodBank will purchase the goods, or you can go online to the Amazon Wishlist, buy the products directly and have them delivered to the FoodBank. Donated diapers can also be dropped off directly at the FoodBank’s warehouse at 6725 Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township, though note that drop-offs are only permitted during business hours. The website for all donations can be found here: cfbnj.org/diaper-drive.
As far as monetary donations go, one dollar can go as far as providing six diapers.
The FoodBank partners with a local initiative called Women Fighting Hunger. This is a volunteer group that works with the FoodBank to host various drives, like this one, throughout the year. Two members of that group, Terry Budd and Leigh Chairman, are co-chairs of The Great Big Diaper Drive this year.
“This drive came about by need. SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, doesn’t pay for diapers. So as the cost of diapers has gone up, along with food and everything else, a lot of families really need assistance with diapers,” Budd said. “If you’re working and have to take your child to daycare, if you don’t bring diapers to that daycare, you can’t leave your child. There are also a lot of health issues with not changing your diapers in a timely fashion, and I just realized that families have to make decisions sometimes between food, rent and diapers. Knowing that hardship exists, plus having a soft spot for babies, I wanted to get involved.”
Both Budd and Chairman are South Jersey-based locals. They are volunteers who are doing this strictly to build up their own communities. They shared that they have received a great amount of donations so far and hope to continue spreading awareness of this need to others.
“I think we always get an excellent response,” Budd shared. “I believe that once it’s in front of people, they do want to help. Whether it’s a case of diapers or a pack of wipes you can donate, nothing is too small. It all helps.”
The co-chairs also noted that while The Great Big Diaper Drive is going on now, you can donate diapers at any point throughout the year to the FoodBank. The hope is that this drive brings awareness to diaper insecurity so that the next time you’re dropping off cans at the FoodBank, you can maybe throw a diaper or two in as well.
“I know that families are really struggling, and they’re forced to make these tough decisions, and the need for diapers just continues to rise,” Chairman said. “It just pulls at my heartstrings to know that our neighbors are hurting like that, so I wanted to help out, and this drive really helps.”
When a mother cannot afford to provide her child with safe, clean diapers, the effects can go beyond the child’s health and well-being. Diaper insecurity can also contribute to increased stress and depression for parents who are already struggling to make ends meet. Helping provide something as simple as a clean diaper can make a difference in creating a safer, healthier environment for the whole family.
While food insecurity is something many people are familiar with, diaper insecurity is another very real need that exists right here in our communities. Through The Great Big Diaper Drive, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and its volunteers hope to remind people that even the smallest donation can make a difference. Whether you donate money, purchase diapers and wipes through the Amazon Wishlist or simply add a pack of diapers to your next FoodBank donation, every little bit helps a family in need.
Delaney Crawford is a dynamic entrepreneur with a passion for storytelling and digital marketing. Driven by a desire to empower local businesses, Delaney founded DLC Media, a company dedicated to helping businesses enhance their brand image and thrive online.
