Local Spotlight Gem City Diaper Bank

This nonprofit is working to address diaper needs in the Greater Dayton area.

Diapers can be expensive. In fact, the average cost per child is typically $70 to $80 per month. With nearly one in three low-income families in need, Gem City Diaper Bank (GCDB) is trying to fill the gap by providing diapers to low-income families in the Montgomery County area. GCDB is a proud member of the National Diaper Bank Network, which has 200+ members nationwide.

Southwest Ohio Parent spoke to Rosemary Roberts, co-founder and executive director of Gem City Diaper Bank, to find out more about this non-profit that’s helping parents and caregivers access diapers, wipes and even period products when they need them.

How can families find you if they are in need?

Families in need of diapers, wipes and period supplies can find us by calling 211 or through our website at www.gemcitydiaperbank.org and click the tab “Contact Us.”

If qualified, how long will families receive assistance?

Once the application process is completed, families needing emergency assistance will most likely receive diapers the same day. For first-time clients, an appointment is scheduled at a time that’s convenient for both parties. Clients on the program will receive diapers every other month (a two-month supply) until the child is potty trained or 3½ years old. Families of children with disabilities are on the program until age 5.

You also have an UnderCare program. What is that?

Gem City Diaper Bank’s UnderCare Program is an extension of the services we provide as a diaper bank. Once a child reaches the age limit or is potty trained, parents have the opportunity to volunteer to earn points to receive one pack of t-shirts, one pack of socks and one pack of underpants for their child. Parents may volunteer twice a year to earn these items and the child who receives the items must be no more than 12 years old.

Period poverty has been in the news lately. Can you explain the problem and how you're helping?

Period Poverty refers to the prevalent problem of being unable to afford products such as pads, tampons or liners to manage a female’s menstrual cycle. In lieu of sanitary products, many individuals are forced to use items like rags, paper towels, toilet paper or cardboard. A shortage of resources stops women from going to work every day. Girls who don’t have access to feminine hygiene products are missing school. The lack of proper menstrual hygiene leads to health issues like toxic shock syndrome, reproductive tract infections and even cervical cancer. We are helping to end period poverty by first bringing awareness of the need and secondly, by having products available to provide a solution.

How can people help Gem City Diaper Bank and get involved?

People can help by donating disposable diapers, hosting a basic needs drive, volunteering or making a monetary donation by going to gemcitydiaperbank.org.

SW OHIO PARENT'S 2022 FALL FUN GUIDE

Blooms & Berries Farm Market

Fall On The Farm in Loveland is open daily with Hayrides, Corn Mazes, a 40 Animal Petting Farm, Pumpkin Bounce Pad, Barnyard 500 trike track, Farm Games, Photo Opts, Pumpkins, Bakery Treats and enjoy the Beer Garden Friday - Sunday. Visit in September for Sunflowers or enjoy the Farm Animal Encounter included with your ticket the two September weekends! Come early in the season for tickets as cheap as $5.95. Buy Tickets Online Only.

Dates: September 17 ̶ October 31

(513) 697-9173 | FallOnTheFarm.com

9669 S. St. Rt. 48, Loveland, OH 45140

Carillon Historical Park

Join us at Carillon Historical Park for a day of family fun! With more than 30 museum exhibits onsite, Carillon Historical Park showcases Dayton’s rich heritage of creativity, invention, and milestones in innovation that changed the nation and the world! The park houses the John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers National Museum featuring the original 1905 Wright Flyer III, an impressive collection of NCR cash registers, the Carousel of Dayton Innovation, Gem City Letterpress (NEW!), and so much more!

Dates: Open Daily

(937) 293-2841 | daytonhistory.org

1000 Carillon Boulevard, Dayton, OH 45409

Waynesville Fall Fest

If you’re looking for a new family tradition, Waynesville Fall Fest has you covered! We’re excited to return this season with more attractions and entertainment than ever before. Get ready for a 5-acre corn maze, two mini golf courses, gem mining, the Wildwater Mining Company mega playset, carnival games, a petting farm, pedal cars, Water Wars, disc golf, pumpkin painting, S.L. Expeditions adventure trucks, and so much more! Enjoy delicious food and treats and make memories with special events throughout the season. Visit us at waynesvillefallfest.com or on Facebook @waynesvillefallfest.

Dates: Saturdays & Sundays, Sep 17 – Oct 30

(937) 790-0036 | waynesvillefallfest.com

7392 East State Route 73 Waynesville, OH 45068

Heritage Village Museum's Haunted Village

Heritage Village Museum will transform into a Haunted Village for a family-friendly, slight-fright Halloween event. Our 19th century village inside Sharon Woods Park is the perfect setting for a spooky October evening! Trick-or-treat through the Village meeting ghosts, witches, and a fortune teller along the way! Walk through the haunted trail! Experience new attractions: Dead Eye Dan's History of Fear, “Boos On First” Interactive Comedy, Civil War Medical Mysteries, and Theatre Macabre. Enjoy a creepy critter zoo, balloon art, games, a maze, and more! Admission is $10. Museum members and children under two are free.

Dates: October 14-15, 21-22 & 28-29

(513) 563-9484 | heritagevillagecincinnati.org

11500 Lebanon Road, Sharonville, OH 45241

Jack O' Lantern Junction

Halloween fun for the whole family at EnterTRAINment Junction! Kids can trick-or-treat thru our indoor, kid friendly maze and see friendly ghosts, skeletons and more. Plus, see our new Halloween mini scenes and a Halloween themed train display! Weather permitting the little ones can ride our Halloween themed outdoor train rides. Plus, it’s the perfect place to have a Halloween Party! Don’t worry about the weather, it’s all indoors!

Dates: Sat., September 24 – Mon., October 31

(513) 898-8000 | entertrainmentjunction.com

7379 Squire Court, West Chester, OH 45069

Station Road Farm

Fourth-generation family farm, located in Old West Chester, open daily! It’s a tradition to pick a pumpkin, hundreds to choose from! The farm has, all the décor to decorate your home: Mums, Stalks, Indian Corn, Straw Bales, Gourds & much more! Enjoy our fresh fall apples, cider, local fall produce, Amish foods. Call to book private events & hayrides! Weekend hayrides in October 1-30, weather permitting: Sat. & Sun. 12-4 pm Extra weekend activities include play on barnyard playground, feed the chickens and hold the kittens. Amish food tastings, sip on hot chocolate, cider, coffee and tea bar! Station Road Farm has all you need to enjoy fall nearby. Now selling Simply Southern in gift shop farm stand.

Dates: Open Daily – Check website for hours!

(513) 777-3650 | stationroadfarm.com

6749 Station Road, West Chester, OH 45069

Fall Farm Fun at Burwinkel Farms

Join Burwinkel Farms this fall for some Family Farm Fun! Enjoy a sunflower hayride to our pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and sunflower fields. Explore a punch-card maze, Halloween scavenger hunt, animals, plus much more! Fun for all ages, kids and adults alike! Hayrides run Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-6pm (weather permitting), all other activities are open during normal business hours. Watch our FB page for updates about weekday hayride opportunities. We also welcome scheduled weekday hayride groups of 10+, call (513) 738-1145 to schedule. After the fun, shop tons of homegrown pumpkins, gourds, straw, apples, cider, and all other items fall!

Dates: September 24 ̶ October 31

(513) 738-1145 | burwinkelfarms.com

4359 Hamilton Cleves Rd., Hamilton, OH 45013

Family Fun Day at Greenacres

Come see all that Greenacres has to offer in Brown County! Join us for an open house style tour of our Greenacres Lewis Township campus. Visitors will be able to tour our brand new Education Center, learn about field trip and summer camp opportunities, and join our educators for arts activities, hikes, pond dipping, and more. This casual event is a great way for your family to spend a fall afternoon. There will be food and fun activities to keep you and your children entertained. Please RSVP on our website.

Dates: November 12

(513) 891-4227 | green-acres.org

7597 State Route 505, Felicity, OH 45120

Brown's Family Farm Market

Fall brings the fun at Brown’s Family Farm Market!! Fall Family Fun Weekends are every Saturday and Sunday through October! Affordable family fun activities including Hayrides, pick your own pumpkin patch, barrel train rides, corn maze, farm animals, picnic area, multiple free play areas, photo opportunities and food trucks! At Brown’s, we grow much of our fall décor like corn stalk bundles, Indian corn, squash, gourds, beautiful mums, and of course, pumpkins in all shapes and sizes! Plus a full assortment of home grown apples, sweet cider, caramel apples, Amish Fry Pies, bakery items and more! Open daily 9am-7pm!

Dates: Every weekend through October

(513) 738-0404 | brownsfarmmarket.com

11620 Hamilton Cleves Rd., Hamilton, OH 45013

MetroParks of Butler County

"Bark" your calendars for The Howl at Voice of America MetroPark! Join us October 15 from 4-7pm for a fun filled celebration of our canine friends and spooky season. Come dressed for a costume contest, walk the trickor-treat trail designed for you and your dogs, and much more! Get cozy with your pup and stick around for a screening of Disney's "101 Dalmatians" after the event.

Registration is encouraged, walk-ups area welcome. Event fee is $5/dog. Free admission to families without dogs (yet!). Benefits go to The Wiggly Field Dog Park Fund at the Northern Cincinnati Foundation.

Dates: October 15

(513) 867-5835 | YourMetroParks.net

2051 Timberman Rd., Hamilton, OH 45013

Greene County Parks & Trails' Pumpkin Glow

We give a whole new meaning to GLOW with our Pumpkin Glow! No traditional, candlelit pumpkins here…just hand-painted pumpkins in black light-reflective paint! The trails of Caesar Ford Park will be lined with hundreds of hand-painted pumpkins covering everything from cartoons to music to horror shows, animals, and more. Once illuminated with the black light, the pumpkin comes to life! Come out and see how many of these masterpieces you know.

Dates: October 26-29

(937) 562-6440 | gcparkstrails.com

520 S Stringtown Rd., Xenia, OH 45385

Ohio River Scenic Railway

Visit our pumpkin patch and have fun with your children, family, or friends - searching for the perfect Jack-o-Lantern. Then bring it aboard the train to decorate with stickers on your return trip to Tell City. **Pumpkins and stickers may be purchased at our pumpkin patch, starting at $5. Rides will depart most Saturdays and Sundays in October. The train will stop at the patch for approximately 30 minutes. Celebrate autumn with your children, friends, and family aboard the Pumpkin Patch Express!

Dates: October 1 - 30

(812) 548-6848 | ohiorivertrain.com 333 7th Street, Tell City, IN 47586

WHY WHY

PRESCHOOLERS NEED ENRICHMENT CLASSES

The benefits of preschool enrichment classes are almost endless.

WORDS BY JENNIFER THOMPSON

Enrichment classes offer the opportunity to try new things, develop social skills and learn while in a fun environment. And because a preschooler’s mind is like a sponge, it is a great time for children of this age to be introduced to these types of programs.

You may have considered enrolling your preschooler in an enrichment program, but have hesitated because of obstacles such as cost, time commitment or the timing of the program. While these are all valid and understandable concerns, here are some things to consider when weighing the pros and cons of enrichment programs.

Gain Social Skills

Enrichment programs are one opportunity for preschoolers to learn valuable social skills that will help them throughout their lives. They will learn how to interact with peers in small group settings, and follow instructions from grown-ups other than their caregivers in a structured environment. They also will learn more about the importance of sharing, taking turns, being respectful and kind, and how to follow directions to complete the task at hand. While it may take some time to learn these valuable skills, this is a great age to begin.

Expose Them to Challenges Enrichment classes are not only enjoyable, they also offer your preschooler exposure to new challenges. Maybe it’s trying something new, or facing a fear, such as meeting new people. Maybe it’s

learning how to behave in a structured environment, or how to participate in group activities. Whatever it may be, challenging situations are not easy, but we know they build character and help us to learn grit - even at this young age.

Try Something New

There are a plethora of enrichment classes offered for preschoolers. And the incredible thing about these classes is that they are designed to be both playful and fun. If you look online for the types of classes offered to preschoolers, the names of the classes alone says it all. From Little Scientists to Alphabet Art to Bug Bonanza — there is something for everyone. Some of the opportunities include physical activities, science, math, art, nature, music, learning a new language, playing an instrument, reading, stretching and so much more. The time commitment for most classes offered to this age group is usually only a few weeks at a time, so it’s a great opportunity for your little one to learn more about what they like, and don’t like, without a lengthy commitment.

Find the Program That Fits Your Needs

Cost, driving distance, time commitment, class hours and class size are all things to consider before choosing a program. There are preschool enrichment programs offered at all times of day, so be sure to find the one that fits your entire family's needs. Classes usually have a maximum number of participants, which is great to look into for those kids who do well in smaller groups.

If cost is a concern, know that some programs offer financial assistance. If you want to have your child involved, but finances are tight, look around until you find the program that is best for your family. There is no need for the enrichment program to break the bank. If driving is a concern, consider signing your child up with a friend and carpooling. It will save both time, and money. Plus, how fun is it to ride to class with a buddy?!

Develop Lifelong Passions

It might sound silly to think of your 3, 4 or 5 year old developing lifelong passions, but it is definitely possible. Some kids are drawn to physical activity, others to learning. Some may discover they love to create things with their hands, while others find an instrument they pick up and can’t put down. Each of us is wired differently and are driven by different things — and preschoolers are no exception. How cool is it that they can find something that will continue to bring them joy throughout their lifetime at such a young age?