More than 200,000 diapers were distributed directly to the Austin community in December’s Austin Diaper Day, an event held by the Austin Diaper Bank. The children’s disposable diapers were handed out free of charge to the public at the Dove Springs Recreation Center.
“The Austin Diaper Bank was recently blessed with large donations of diapers, and we want to give them to Austin area families who need them most,” says Executive Director Holly McDaniel. “We’re seeing a lot of families that we’ve never seen before. We expected to help about 200 to 300 families today. It’s only 15 minutes into our event, and we’ve already served over 400 families.”
The Austin Diaper Bank has found that “diaper need” impacts an estimated 12,000 babies and toddlers in Travis County alone. Disposable diapers are typically a requirement of most childcare centers and other childhood education programs. Federal assistance programs, such as SNAP and WIC, do not cover diapers.
“Our mission is to ensure that no child suffers because their family struggles to afford a sufficient supply of diapers to keep them clean and healthy,” McDaniel says.
