Fox Valley United Way Diaper Drive Helps Keep Children Healthy and Happy
On average, a newborn baby uses 8 to 12 diapers a day, according to “How Many Diapers Your Baby Really Needs” by Nicole Harris, and as children grow, they use fewer diapers daily. Currently, our area is facing a diaper shortage in food pantries, which are only able to provide families with 6 diapers a week per child. This averages out to 24 diapers a month, while babies need between 240 to 320 diapers a month.
At Fox Valley United Way, we invest in essential programs supporting school readiness, healthy lifestyles, and positive financial outcomes. Recently, our director of community engagement was at a local food pantry when she noticed the shortage of diapers and decided to help support healthy lifestyles for the recipient families. At Fox Valley United Way, we partner with local organizations to build a strong and vibrant community. Thanks to local organizations, state representatives, and community members, we were able to do just that.
About 10 community partners held diaper drives in an effort to help build a strong and vibrant community. These partners include Caterpillar Aurora, the City of Aurora POWER Women, Earthmover Credit Union, the Junior Women’s Club of Oswego, PDC30, Rush Copley Medical Center, State Representatives Jed Davis, Matt Hanson, Barbara Hernandez, and Jeff Keicher, State Senator Karina Villa, and Waubonsee Community College. Together, we collected over 12,500 child and adult diapers and 170 packs of baby wipes! This diaper drive raised nearly $4,700 in diapers, which are now being distributed among local food pantries.
Though the community efforts were successful, they are not done yet. Unfortunately, the diaper shortage remains a prevalent issue in our community. If you would like to hold a diaper drive, please call us at 630-896-4636 or email info@foxvalleyunitedway.org. To stay up to date on current projects, including diaper drives, subscribe to our Friday 5 newsletter at https://www.foxvalleyunitedway.org/signup. We look forward to continuing to partner with local organizations to build a strong and vibrant community.
References:
A New Parent’s Guide to Estimating How Many Diapers You Need and What They’ll Cost. (n.d.). Parents. https://www.parents.com/parenting/money/saving/save-money-and-build-a-d…