Week-long Diaper Drive in Honor of Mother’s Day a Success to Help Resource Center of Somerset Clients

May 27, 2014 – HILLSBOROUGH – For over 35 years, the Resource Center of Somerset has been helping our clients through the crisis of living in an abusive relationship.  We also supplement their needs with food, personal care items, clothing and more, usually donated to us by local merchants and supporters within the community.  Many of our clients have very limited financial resources and have to make tough choices when it comes to expenses.

Expenses can be overwhelming, especially when caring for an infant or toddler, in some cases, more than one.  For example, 1 in 3 American moms are in diaper need.  These mothers have had to cut back on food, utilities or child care in order to provide diapers.

Nearly 1 in 20 moms in diaper need have extended the amount of time they leave their babies in wet or soiled disposable diapers – in extreme cases, moms have cleaned out and reused wet or soiled diapers.

Babies suffer without clean, dry diapers. As a result, they are more likely to experience signs of irritation and discomfort, cry more, and suffer from worse diaper rash.  Most day care facilities require a full day’s supply of disposable diapers.

And so, to help the moms who are working their way through crisis, we held a diaper drive during the week following Mother’s Day.  Several community partner businesses set up collection points at their locations for people to conveniently drop off diaper donations.  The collection drive was a success.  Nearly 3,000 diapers in all sizes were collected along with baby wipes, shampoo, wash cloths and formula.  These items are made available to our clients at our Outreach Center and at the Safe House.

The goal of the drive was to collect disposable diapers to create more sustainable access for our clients receiving counseling and/or emergency shelter, but we also hope to help raise awareness of the diaper need and to engage the community in our new endeavor.

“This is the first time we’ve held this type of drive,” remarked the Resource Center’s Development Coordinator Veronica Finlay, “and we are very pleased with the response from our community.”

There is a continuing need for diapers and personal care items for babies and children.  We will continue to accept donations and collect diapers at our Outreach Center, 427 Homestead Road, Hillsborough, NJ.

We would like to thank the businesses that served as collection points;

We would also like to thank the many special groups and individuals who put extra effort into helping with the collection.  From Girl Scout Troops to local businesses to neighborhood groups, each help make the journey to empowerment a little more comfortable for women with infants and toddlers in our programs.