NEW ORLEANS – From the Junior League of New Orleans:
The Junior League of New Orleans (JLNO) Diaper Bank received a truckload of approximately 177,000 diapers from the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBM).
As a member of the National Diaper Bank Network, JLNO is one of more than 200 community-based diaper banks throughout the country. In light of the current global pandemic, Huggies recently announced that they were donating 5 million diapers to areas hardest hit by COVID 19. Diaper Bank Co-Chairs Alysa Mouledoux and Dana Schmitt acted quickly to secure a portion of those diapers for the JLNO Diaper Bank through NDBM.
Since the pandemic has begun JLNO has donated 72,000 diapers to Second Harvest to respond to the increased need in our community which left store shelves completely empty. The NDBM donation along with other diaper donations received through the Ochsner drop off bin has allowed JLNO to distribute more diapers to community partners. Diapers, like toilet paper, flew off the shelves and have been hard to come by for more than a month. Prior to the pandemic 1 in 3 families struggled with diaper need and with product scarcity and the closing of schools that need has grown larger during the pandemic.
Since the inception of JLNO’s Diaper Bank in 2014, over one million diapers have been distributed in the community. In September 2017 JLNO opened the Diaper Bank warehouse, a climate controlled facility that has enabled the organization to collect, sort, and distribute a record number of diapers. As the only Diaper Bank in the Greater New Orleans area, the JLNO Diaper Bank serves all surrounding areas including New Orleans East, Metairie, the Westbank, Chalmette, and Gentilly.
“Since founding our diaper bank, Junior League of New Orleans has made helping local families from the bottom up an utmost priority” said Christine Vinson, President of Junior League of New Orleans. “We invite the Greater New Orleans community to join our efforts during these unprecedented times by purchasing diapers on the Junior League of New Orleans Diaper Bank wish list on Amazon or by donating to our Dollars for Diapers Campaign.”
About Diaper Need
- Nearly 200,000 children 3 years old and under live in Louisiana.
- Nearly half of all Louisiana families live in or near poverty.
- Babies use 6 to 10 diapers per day, and diapers can cost $70 to $100 per month.
- Diapers are currently NOT tax exempt in Louisiana.
- Diapers are NOT eligible purchases under federal social safety net programs like SNAP or WIC.
- Diapers bought in bulk are cheapest, but many families cannot afford to buy in bulk, live in places where travel to a big box store is an hour or more on public transit, or cannot get deliveries to their homes.
- Cloth diapers are not allowed to be washed in most laundromats or communal washers and dryers.
Negative Consequences of Diaper Need
- Diaper need impacts the physical, mental, and economic wellbeing of children and their caregivers.
- Lack of diapers creates rashes and urinary tract infections for children and increases stress, anxiety, and depression for parents.
- A day’s supply of diapers are required to send a child to daycare or an early childhood education program.
- Without childcare, parents cannot go to school or work to further their education and provide for their families.
How To Help Close the Diaper Need Gap
Donate disposable diapers or period products at JLNO Headquarters, located at 4319 Carondelet Street between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Diapers are also accepted at one of our many ongoing diaper drive locations.
- Unused disposable diapers can be of any type, size, and brand.
- All sizes will be accepted with a preference for sizes 3 and above.
- Opened packages of diapers are acceptable. Please label them with the size if they are not donated in their original package.
Visit our website www.jlnodiaperbank.org to learn more about how you can help:
- Make a one-time or recurring financial donation to Dollars for Diapers.
- Organize a diaper drive through your place of business, organization or place of worship. A Diaper Drive Toolkit is available on our website.
- Purchase diapers from JLNO’s Amazon Wish List. Diapers purchased from the Amazon Wish List will ship directly to JLNO Headquarters.
- Purchase a California Closets Gulf Coast Gift Certificate ($200 value for $100) with all proceeds benefiting the JLNO Diaper bank.
