April 6, 2022
Diaper dandies
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Features (FLIP) Since 2014, the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank has distributed over eight million diapers and assisted over 200,000 residents.
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The St. Louis Area Diaper Bank helps provide resources to families so they can keep their babies clean, dry and healthy By Wendy Todd According to the National Diaper Bank Network, one in three families can’t afford diapers for one child, which averages about $80 per month. And there are no federal or state programs that help families purchase diapers. The St. Louis Area Diaper Bank aims to bridge what is referred to as the “diaper gap” to help families keep their babies clean, dry and healthy. Since 2014, the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank has distributed over eight million diapers and assisted over 200,000 residents. Adequate diaper supply helps babies stay clean and avoid diaper related infection. It is reported that between 7% and 25% of babies in the U.S. suffer from diaper irritation that can lead to infection and serious illness. But the importance of having adequate diapers goes well beyond basic hygiene.
According to the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank, moms who don’t have enough diapers are three-times more likely than their peers to suffer from depression and anxiety. Increased parental stress can potentially lead to abuse. And a child who is fussy due to diaper irritation is at a heightened risk for abuse in a high stress home. As with most businesses, the pandemic impacted operations, but the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank has still found ways to support the public. “When the pandemic began in 2020, we were not able to distribute diapers because of the shutdowns,” says Muriel Smith, Executive Director. “None of our partner agencies were open and seeing clients, which affected the Diaper Bank being able to distribute diapers.” Supply chain issues were also a hindrance to operations, as well as the inability to have
volunteers in the warehouse to help with packaging the diapers. The small staff at St. Louis Area Diaper Bank had to pick up the efforts. “We were able to shift to the drive-thru model with the St. Louis County Library, Operation Food Search and the Urban League to ensure families received what they needed during that time,” Smith says. Since the height of the pandemic that hindered the ability to render services the organization made some effective changes. “We have secured multiple distributors so that we don’t have issues with getting access to diapers and period supply products,” Smith says. “We purchased two wrapping machines to make wrapping diapers quicker and more efficient in case we can’t have volunteers in the warehouse. We also created a See ‘DIAPER’ page 2
Serving North & Northwest St. Louis County | FREE Online at mycnews.com | Vol. 101 No. 14 | 636-379-1775
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