Cops, Community Help To Ensure 375 Babies Have Diapers

MADISON, CT — Tina Bascom never imagined she'd end up doing the work she's doing. Now, she can't imagine not doing it.

In a small, light-industrial park on Fort Path Road, the Bare Necessities 'warehouse' is lined with shelves with stacks of diapers — for preemies to toddler pull-ups — and boxes of baby wipes. But it's not as packed in there as it should be. For now anyway.

Bare Necessities, with an office in Clinton and operations in Madison, has 375 babies in the shoreline towns it serves in need of diapers.

Bascom is the non-profit's president. Its mission is to provide diapers and wipes to those in need through local food pantries and community service organizations. Its vision is to help ensure that the families in our community will be able to live in a diaper stress-free environment and have access to all basic essentials.

And to help, law enforcement got involved.

The Shoreline Law Enforcement Diaper & Wipe Drive is underway now though Feb. 15.

"This is our biggest and most successful drive," Bascom said of the drive sponsored by police departments including Madison, Guilford, Clinton, Branford, North Branford, East Haven and Connecticut State Police Troop F.

The drive has meant that Bare Necessities has been able to provide diapers to the Branford Community Dining Program, Old Saybrook’s Social Service Program, and "significantly supplement our distribution in Guilford, Madison and Clinton."

Bascom said the law enforcement effort, and the generosity of shoreline residents has made a big difference as the non-profit looks to "eliminate diaper need in the Shoreline Community."

Photo by Ellyn Santiago/Patch

In Guilford, a huge supply of diapers and wipes collected since the first of the month was already delivered to the Bare Necessities warehouse and a new donation box was quickly filling up at the police station not unlike at North Branford, Branford, Madison and Clinton police departments at at CSP Troop F headquarters.

And East Haven Police joined the effort this year.

Photo by, and courtesy of, East Haven Police Lt. Joe Murgo

"We're proud to be part of this initiative because we know all too well how expensive these items can be. When you’re trying to make ends meet, a little help with the necessities can go a long way," said East Haven Police spokesman Lt. Joe Murgo. "And I’m so proud of our community for always stepping up when something like this comes around."

Bare Necessities was born out of a need.

Its website offers information, facts, and plenty of opportunities to help support its mission.

Beth Serra-Loud, Tina Bascom, and Mary Jo Walker are the founders.

"While Beth was volunteering with family and friends at the Clinton Food Pantry a woman asked her if she knew where she could get diapers for her adorable baby girl. In an effort to find an answer for her, she discovered that there was not a diaper bank that serviced the Shoreline area. In researching further, she also discovered that 1 in 3 babies have a diaper need and SNAP cannot be used to purchase diapers or toiletries. So her family and three other families with diverse talents and compassionate hearts formed our founding board of Bare Necessities, Inc." a 501(c)3 non-profit in 2015 based in Clinton. Its first distribution in December of that year "helped five families."

"By May 2017 we were helping 120 families in Clinton and we are partnering with social service organizations and food pantries along the shoreline. To date we now serve 270 families and have distributed over 396,000 diapers and 809,000 wipes."

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.

Indeed, a recent Patch trip to a local supermarket found that, even on sale, diapers can run $20 to $30 a box and up.

Photo by Ellyn Santiago/Patch

Branford Police says it is open "24/7" and hopes folks will continue to generously donate. And don't forget the wipes!