Changing Lives: Towns Come Together To Get Babies Covered

BRANFORD, CT — Come next Monday, the drive will end, but the need will remain. But local law enforcement has it covered, with the help of a giving and generous community.

The Shoreline Law Enforcement Diaper & Wipe Drive to support 675 babies and toddlers helped by non-profit agency Bare Necessities of Madison and Clinton ends Feb. 15. So there's still time to drop off diapers and wipes to the Branford Police Department, Connecticut State Police Troop F, and Madison, Guilford, North Branford, East Haven and Clinton police departments.

Bare Necessities president Tina Bascom told Patch last month that the need is "staggering," and more than doubled since the previous year.

The annual diaper drive would not be as successful as it has been in recent years without the help of local police departments. Every station from state police Troop F in Westbrook to the East Haven police department is diaper central. It’s not called the Shoreline Law Enforcement Diaper & Wipe Drive for nothing.

And Branford police are celebrating, and thanking, the community for its generosity.

"This photo shows kindness. This photo shows community. This photo shows support. This photo shows people working together for a common goal: helping others," Branford Police wrote on Facebook.

"We can reach so many of you, and together we can all give more to the folks in our community who are in need," police wrote. All the police departments listed are accepting diapers and wipes day and night in their lobbies until Feb. 15.

Here's what Branford has collected so far.

Did you know? Diaper Need Facts:

• 1 in 3 families in the USA have a diaper need. 6 – 12 diapers are needed per day for infants/toddlers at an average cost of $100 per month.
• Diapers and toiletries are not covered under safety net programs such as SNAP (food stamps) or WIC (woman, infants and children).
• CT Poverty Statistics: 38% of children under the age of 3 years old live below the poverty level.
• Statistics show that a pregnant mother will go without food in order to purchase diapers for her child. Having to sacrifice one meal has the same negative effects of taking cocaine. By providing diapers to families in need, we hope that a mother will never have to make this decision.
• Children must have a full day's worth of disposable diapers to attend even government subsidized daycare.