Beyond the Diaper Stage: Building a Community of Support
2/21/2019 1:12 am
As a mom, I’ve always been deeply aware of the constant need for diapers. The last-minute runs to the store, careful budgeting, and the overstuffed diaper bag were all part of my daily reality. But it wasn’t until I read Broke in America by Joanne Samuel Goldblum and Colleen Shaddox last April that I truly understood the crisis many families face when it comes to this basic necessity.
The revelation that essential items like diapers aren’t covered by food stamps or WIC left me stunned. How could something so crucial for a child’s health and a family’s well-being be overlooked? As I looked at my children, my youngest still in diapers at the time, I couldn’t shake the image of a mother, just like me, trying to stretch her diaper supply by leaving her child in a soiled diaper just a little longer. The only difference between us was circumstance.
That book planted a seed in me, one that quickly took root and began to grow. I couldn’t ignore what I’d learned, and I wanted to do something to help. Over the months that followed, as I continued to budget for and change countless diapers for my child, I began planning and reaching out to others who might help address this critical need in our community.
A few weeks ago, as my youngest finally mastered potty training, I felt a renewed surge of motivation. As I packed away the last of the diapers, feeling a sense of relief, I was struck by a powerful realization: while my personal diaper days were over, the plans I’d set in motion to help other families were coming to fruition. It felt like perfect timing – as one chapter of my motherhood journey closed, another opened, allowing me to channel my energy and experience into making a difference for other families still in the thick of the diaper stage.
The Hidden Crisis of Diaper Need
In the months since I first learned about this issue, the reality of diaper need in America has become even clearer to me. It’s not just about comfort; it’s a matter of health, dignity, and opportunity.
Without an adequate supply of clean diapers, babies face health risks. As a mom who’s changed countless diapers, I’ve seen firsthand how quickly diaper rash can develop. For families who can’t afford to change diapers as often as needed, this discomfort can escalate to dangerous infections. But the impact goes beyond physical health. Parents unable to provide enough diapers for childcare centers can’t leave their children to go to work or school, trapping families in a cycle of poverty.
What’s particularly troubling is the gap in our social safety net. Despite being an essential need, diapers cannot be purchased with SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) or WIC benefits. This leaves many families in an impossible position, forced to choose between diapers and other necessities like food or medicine. As a mom, the thought of having to make such a choice is heartbreaking.
The scale of this problem is staggering. According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 5 million children aged three or younger live in poor or low-income families in the U.S., many of whom likely face diaper need. This isn’t just a statistic—it represents millions of families struggling daily.
Seeds of Action: Cultivating Community Support
This issue gnawed at my conscience, and I wanted to do something but wasn’t sure how to start. When I mentioned it to Kasey Cummings, the founder and Executive Director of All Moms, we agreed we should figure out a way to address it in some way. I began planning a diaper drive, but I was still missing a crucial piece – a partner who was already on the ground, fighting this battle.
Serendipity stepped in at a community roundtable on July 25th, where I met Phillipa Williams, the founder of ilooklikeLOVE. This amazing organization provides diaper assistance and capacity-building support for local mothers in need. It felt like the stars had aligned – I had found our perfect partner for the diaper drive.
Face-to-Face with Need: A Heart Full of Renewed Commitment
To truly understand the impact of this work and solidify our commitment to the cause, Kasey and I volunteered at an ilooklikeLOVE Diaper Day at the Spring Valley WIC Clinic on September 13th. The experience was profoundly moving, in ways I hadn’t anticipated.
We saw babies everywhere, in all shapes and sizes:
– Fresh newborns, still curled up in their mother’s arms
– Chubby-cheeked infants with rolls upon rolls of baby fat
– Happy babies cooing and giggling
– Fussy babies crying for attention
– Toddlers wobbling around in socks, their little feet padding on the clinic floor
Each of these children needs between 6-8 diapers a day on average, with newborns requiring up to 12. This adds up to 2,000-3,000 diapers per year per child, costing families an average of $936 annually, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. For the families we met, many of whom are likely in the lowest income bracket, this could represent 5-10% of their total income – a significant financial burden for those already struggling to make ends meet.
The moms were just like any of us – trying to juggle it all, chasing down curious toddlers while attempting to fill out forms or speak with clinic staff. It was a scene any mother could relate to, a universal dance of parenthood. But for these moms, that dance came with the added weight of financial strain and worry about providing the most basic necessities for their little ones.
The relief on the mothers’ faces as they received diapers was palpable. For these moms, it meant one less impossible choice to make this month, one less worry keeping them up at night. The mixture of gratitude and dignity in their eyes was clear – these weren’t handouts, but a community coming together to support each other.
Watching these families, it hit home how crucial these diapers are. It’s not just about the physical need – it’s about giving these moms one less thing to worry about, allowing them to focus on the million other aspects of caring for their children. It’s about providing dignity, relief, and a bit of breathing room in what are often incredibly stressful circumstances.
A 2013 study shed light on the extent of diaper need. The researchers found that almost 30% of mothers reported they could not afford to change their child’s diaper as often as they would like. Even more concerning, one in three mothers reported cutting back on basics such as food, utilities, or child care to afford sufficient diapers. This can mean leaving a baby in a soiled diaper longer than necessary, increasing the risk of diaper rash and other health issues. The study also found that families experiencing diaper need were more likely to report mental health challenges and difficulty with childcare.
This experience only strengthened our resolve to make our upcoming diaper drive a success.
Two Weeks, One Community: Our 5,000 Diaper Challenge
Inspired by our partnership with ilooklikeLOVE and solidified by our volunteer experience, All Moms is hosting a community-wide diaper drive from September 16-30. Our goal is ambitious: we want to collect 5,000 diapers for ilooklikeLOVE to distribute. But we know we can’t do this alone – this needs to be a true community effort.
We’re thrilled to announce that local businesses have stepped up to support this initiative:
– BARRE3 Richardson and Staycation Coffee have generously agreed to be drop-off locations for diaper donations
– Arapaho United Methodist Church is also participating, making it easy for everyone to contribute.
Their involvement underscores that this isn’t just an All Moms project – it’s a community coming together to support its most vulnerable members.
Turning Compassion into Impact
As a mom who has just emerged from the diaper stage, I feel a renewed urgency to address this issue. The relief I felt at no longer needing to budget for diapers has transformed into a determination to help those still in the thick of this struggle. We’re calling on everyone in our community and beyond to join this effort. Whether you’re a parent who understands the necessity of diapers, a business owner who can spread the word, or simply someone who wants to make a difference – there’s a role for you in this drive. Every single diaper counts – it’s one less diaper a struggling family needs to worry about.
Here’s how you can help:
– Donate diapers at any of our partner locations
– Spread the word on social media using #AllMomsDiaperDrive and #EndDiaperNeed
– Talk to your friends, family, and coworkers about this issue
This drive is about more than just collecting diapers. It’s about mothers supporting mothers, families supporting families. It’s about recognizing that sometimes, the most impactful help we can offer is the most basic. And most importantly, it’s about showing what we can achieve when we come together as a community.
As I reflect on the time from those first realizations while reading Broke in America to now, I’m filled with hope. Hope because I’ve seen how a community can come together to address a need. Hope because I know that every diaper we collect represents a little bit of stress lifted from a family’s shoulders – a feeling I know all too well. And hope because I believe that by taking action on issues like diaper need, we’re building a more compassionate, supportive community for all families.
Our efforts might seem small in the face of such a large problem, but for the families we help, it makes all the difference in the world. Join us in this effort. As a mom, as a neighbor, as a member of this community, I ask you to help us make a real difference, one diaper at a time.
