There’s absolutely no doubt babies need diapers – lots and lots of diapers. But this summer, the need has reached a critical point.
That’s why Chicago nonprofit, Share Our Spare, has launched its first-ever Summer Diaper Challenge the organization is calling “Do your Duty.” The goal: Collecting 100,000 diapers by July 20. To do it, it needs your help through donations and even hosting neighborhood diaper drives.
“We have seen such a great need following COVID and everything that happened in the city with racial injustice,” says Alex Goodfellow, Share Our Spare’s new executive director. The diaper drive is a big push to meet the need and an effort to continue to build a community around the babies in the community, she says.
The National Diaper Bank reports that even in normal times, one in three families struggles to provide clean diapers for kids. Share Our Spare has distributed more than 550,000 diapers so far this year.
The drive seeks all sizes of diapers and even pull-ups, but Goodfellow says the larger size diapers, sizes 5 and 6, are more expensive for families to afford and in greater demand right now.
Share Our Spare also distributes essentials needed for the first five years of life. It began focusing on diapers particularly when COVID-19 started. Goodfellow says that beyond the diaper drive, there are many ways for families to be involved with Share Our Spare to keep helping those in need.
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