September is Diaper Action Month- and the Community FoodBank of New Jersey is bringing awareness to the 1 in 3 families in America that struggle with diaper need. Faced with impossible choices, families will often forego other necessities such as rent, food, or utilities to afford diapers.
What is diaper need?
Diapers and other non-food baby essentials can make lasting dents in the finances of low-income families as they are not federally funded by public assistance programs such as SNAP (formerly food stamps) or WIC. On average, babies require 12 diapers a day and when diapers are purchased individually, that can add up to over $100 a month for a family.
Without an adequate supply of diapers, children not only face health problems related to hygiene, but are also unable to participate in early childhood education, activities, and daycares, preventing caregivers from working- keeping families in a cycle of poverty.
This is where CFBNJ can help. As a member of various partnerships allowing for bulk purchasing, we can source more diapers with a single dollar compared to what families could purchase individually. With just $1, we are able to purchase 6 diapers, covering half a day’s worth of diaper needs.
Where can New Jersey families get free diapers?
As a member of the National Diaper Bank Network, CFBNJ seeks to address diaper need by distributing diapers to over 100 partners throughout New Jersey.
New Jersey families can receive free diapers, formula, and other baby essentials at many CFBNJ food pantries and partner agencies, but please call ahead to ensure supply is available. Other pantries and charitable organizations that distribute baby essentials can be found in the New Jersey 211 directory as well.
Families can also receive free baby essentials by:
- Asking your doctor’s office. Doctors might have an available supply for their clients if necessary.
- Signing up with major diaper companies to receive free products, coupons, discount opportunities, and other promotional materials. Companies that are known to do this are Bambo Nature, GoodNites, Huggies, Luvs, Pampers, and Seventh Generation.
- Reaching out directly to diaper manufacturers to request samples of their products. Most manufacturers are willing to send customers a free sample package of all their products.
How to help with diaper need
If you’d like to join us in the fight against Diaper Need, consider donating to or hosting your own virtual Diaper Drive as part of our #GreatBigDiaperDrive initiative. Hosting a virtual fundraiser from your home is one of the easiest, yet most effective, ways to help families in need.
The Women Fighting Hunger initiative has worked with CFBNJ to create templates, graphics, and statistics into a #GreatBigDiaperDrive toolkit available at your disposal to run a successful campaign to donate diapers, wipes, and creams to a family in need. Take advantage of our digital assets and fundraise money for our youngest neighbors in need.
If you would like to help in other ways, you can still make use of the statistics and #GreatBigDiaperDrive toolkit provided. Some other ideas to help include:
- Hosting a physical diaper drive:
Gather your family, friends, schoolmates, coworkers, and community members to collect diapers, wipes, creams, and other baby essentials. Different activities that can include a diaper drive may be school, sports team, or club fundraiser activities, company activities, birthday parties, or at your religious institution. Contact one of our agency partners to secure a location to deliver all donated items to afterwards. If you are unable to find an agency partner near you, contact the Women Fighting Hunger at CFBNJ.
- Raising diaper need awareness in your community:
Who’s your most important community? Is it your family, school, religious institution, workplace, book club, sports team, social media? Whoever it is, speak with your community members about how American families are still struggling with the need for diapers and other baby essentials.
There are statistics and social media copy available in our #GreatBigDiaperDrive that can assist you in educating your friends, family, coworkers, and community about this critical issue. Whether you want to assist New Jersey’s families in need or are looking for diapers for your baby, CFBNJ and our agency partners can help. Learn more about our hygiene programs.