For a mom in Nashville, Tennessee, getting clean diapers for her twin babies was about more than stocking a changing table. The diapers changed her family's future.
Her local daycare, like most other childcare options in the United States, required clean diapers for her twins. The Nashville Diaper Connection, part of the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN), provided her with the diapers she couldn't afford. Once her babies were accepted into daycare, she was able to complete her bachelor’s degree and get a corporate job. She's now only one class away from her Masters in Business Administration.
Millions of other parents and families are just like this Nashville mom. They struggle with diaper need, or the inability to provide clean diapers for their children. The goal of every parent is to keep their baby safe, dry and happy, but a recent study shows 1 in 3 U.S. families have a hard time doing just that.
To help support these families, Huggies® became the founding sponsor of the NDBN in 2011. The NDBN's goal is to meet the basic diaper needs of babies in the U.S. Since partnering with the NDBN, Huggies has donated over 200 million diapers and wipes to moms and dads. But it's not just about product distribution — Huggies and the NDBN can offer even more assistance to families in diaper need with help from volunteers across the country.
When Kristen Hilgers, a volunteer at Happy Bottoms diaper bank in Kansas City, Missouri, learned about diaper need, she couldn't help but put herself in the shoes of the parents experiencing it. "I can only imagine how hard it must be for those moms who always have to worry about the diaper bag being empty," she says. "Now, I do what I can to help eliminate diaper insecurity in my community."
Luckily, there are several ways to get clean diapers to families in need. "Whether it's a diaper drive in the neighborhood, attending a fundraiser or simply sharing the message with friends, I know every effort gets us one step closer to eliminating diaper need,” continues Kristen.
Doug Adair of Nashville Diaper Connection in Nashville, Tennessee, says the big needs for all diaper banks are “dollars, doers and diapers."
"Donate time wrapping and delivering diapers, donate dollars to support a local diaper bank or organize diaper donation events with employers, schools, churches and social organizations,” Doug suggests. The combined power of these volunteer efforts has a massive impact on families with diaper need.
If you'd like to get involved, consider connecting with your community's diaper bank to donate money or volunteer. Or, if you're a Huggies Rewards member, you can send your points directly to the NDBN. With so many options, it's easy to lend a hand toward eliminating diaper need.