Nspire

photographs by Dan iel Meigs and

Lauren Lan gston Stewart

No Child Wet Behind

Serving babies and families in need with Martina McBride and Nashville Diaper Connection

Any parent of a baby or toddler would consider diapers a basic need, but for a large portion of Nashville’s population, they are a luxury that is out of reach. One in three families struggles to provide diapers for their children, and even those on government assistance still can’t obtain them. In fact, when it comes to food stamps, diapers are classified the same way as tobacco and alcohol. Recognizing how great the diaper need is in Davidson County, the Nashville Diaper Connection has worked tirelessly since 2013 to provide diapers for low-income families and to raise awareness about this critical need.

“We need to spread the word about diaper need,” says Doug Adair, president of the Nashville Diaper Connection. “Nobody knows that you can’t buy diapers with food stamps. Nobody knows that you can’t buy diapers with women, infant and children vouchers. Nobody knows that you can’t buy diapers with your own flex spending account. I could buy Rogaine, but I can’t buy diapers. It doesn’t make sense.”

The organization, headquartered in West Nashville, held its first diaper drive in the summer of 2013. In the beginning, it was supported by local churches, and in that first year, the Nashville Diaper Connection donated 19,000 diapers to families in need. By year two, that number increased to 106,000. The nonprofit distributed 169,000 diapers in 2015 and 223,000 in 2016. At the end of last year when our Nfocus team volunteered — alongside Martina McBride and volunteers from her charity, Team Music Is Love — Nashville Diaper Connection was on track to distribute 310,000 diapers by year’s end.

More than a third of the diapers that Nashville Diaper Connection distributes are donated through a partnership with Huggies. The rest are collected through area diaper drives or purchased with monetary donations and grants. Last fall, Huggies donated 53,000 diapers to the Nashville Diaper Connection in honor of Martina McBride’s 25 th anniversary in the Grand Ole Opry. Martina mobilized volunteers through Team Music Is Love to help repackage the diapers so they could be distributed across Middle Tennessee. Team Music Is Love offers Martina’s fans the opportunity to volunteer around the world with causes that are meaningful to her.

“Naturally, for me as a mother and a woman, I’m drawn to causes that benefit women and children,” Martina says. The Nashville Diaper Connection was a perfect fit, and the country star was thrilled to work with the organization and learn more about what they do. “It’s amazing to be able to contribute all over the world and all over the country, but when you can bring it back home and help people in this community, it’s really special,” she said.

Martina, like our entire Nfocus staff, was shocked to learn about how great the diaper need is in Nashville and the devastating impact it can have on children and families. Most daycare facilities require parents to provide a day’s worth of diapers. If they’re unable to do so, their children don’t qualify for care, and the parents are forced to miss work. The long-term effects — physically, mentally and emotionally — can be detrimental to parents and kids alike.

“A baby develops 90 percent of its brain capacity by the time it’s 3 years old,” Doug says. “A lack of clean, dry diapers, a mother’s stress, a mother’s depression — those things are known as adverse childhood experiences. If a baby goes through three persistent adverse childhood experiences, statistically, they’re not going to be able to read at grade level at the end of the third grade. Statistically, their chances of ever catching up are dramatically small. Many states, Tennessee included, use third-grade performance to forecast prison bed needs 10 years out.”

The Nashville Diaper Connection knows it can’t meet every single diaper need in Davidson County, but they’re working hard to increase their numbers every year, motivated by their motto, “No Child Wet Behind.” Thanks to their strong relationship with the National Diaper Bank and with community advocates like Martina McBride, they’re helping more families each year. “This is a way for a person like me or you to make a difference,” Doug says. “Our goal here is to put diaper on butts. That’s it. And it’s simple.”

Making a difference with Nashville Diaper Connection really is simple. There are volunteer opportunities for individuals or groups who want to help collect, package and distribute diapers, and monetary donations go a long way to provide for families and babies in need. It’s an easy and straightforward way to have a lasting impact on those who need it most.

“[Nashville] is an incredibly generous community. I’ve never lived in such a giving place,” Doug says. “We’re a welcoming community. Let’s welcome our newest citizens.”

Visit nashvillediaperconnection.org for more information on Nashville Diaper Connection. To learn more about Martina McBride’s Team Music Is Love, check out teammusicislove.com.

by Nan

cy Floyd