Diapers Needed!

Someone told me that money is not constant. It flies in one door and out the other. Most of us have times in our life where we can enjoy the added pleasures of what money can buy and times where we hold on to every penny; searching for that extra change in every pocket. When my two children were born fifteen months apart and they were still babies, it was a time in our lives where I was searching. I had started to keep a money jar years before and that was empty.

And what about the diapers that they couldn't live without? Trying to push the older child into potty training who was clearly not ready was not a good choice. I would check their diapers before a change, just to see if they could hold out a little longer. Finally, grandmother stepped in and offered to purchase diapers during that financial struggle. I was grateful to have family to assist. Many do not have that option.

Diapers are often an overlooked basic necessity for families experiencing a financial crisis. For the last 16 years, Hope’s Front Door has been providing this infant care item to families who have limited resources and for whom purchasing diapers and wipes presents a substantial challenge. We need your help! Hope’s Front Door is in need of diapers, especially diapers sizes: 4, 5 6, as well as pull-ups for families seeking assistance. These families often have to make some hard decisions about basic necessities such as between purchasing food and infant care items.

Did you know …

· Families are sometimes forced to use one diaper a day for their babies. These babies can experience diaper rash, infections, and other health problems.

· 1 in 20 mothers who has had to cut back on other purchases to pay for diapers has reused a disposable diaper.

· A typical baby needs 10-12 diapers a day and a toddler needs approximately 8 diapers. At a cost of between $100 and $120 a month, diapers are an expense that many families struggle to meet.

· 36% of mothers living in poverty regularly run out of clean diapers for their infants.

· A baby crying from being in a soiled diaper may be at a greater risk of physical abuse. Babies who cry excessively are the most likely to be victims of shaken baby syndrome.

-Data from DC Diaper Bank

We hope you will consider donating diapers or funds to help HFD purchase a basic necessity item for the youngest and most vulnerable in our community.

Hope's Front Door serves the homeless, as well as those seeking assistance in the communities of Darien, Downers Grove, Lisle, Westmont, Willowbrook and Woodridge. Please check out their website at Hope's Front Door.org.