From Austin Diaper Bank, this month's Get Involved spotlight organization:
The Austin Diaper Bank has been a lifeline the past 8 years for the 1 in 3 families who struggle to afford diapers and basic needs.
Since 2013 the Austin Diaper Bank has supported more than 25,000 families each year with diapers, wipes and period supplies. When our community faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic we opened our doors to serve even more families who had experienced sudden job loss and diaper need.
Every month the Austin Diaper Bank provides more than 140,000 diapers, wipes, and period supplies to our non-profit partners to give to families. Partner agencies include CommUnity Care, People’s Community Clinic, SAFE Alliance, Refugee Services of Texas, food pantries, and other organizations. Many of the families we reach are enrolled in public assistance programs, but those programs generally do not provide diapers. Austin Diaper Bank therefore fills a unique, unmet need.
Through our non-profit partners, we serve families who have a variety of critical needs: many are living in poverty and/or facing language or cultural barriers to accessing services; some are experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, or escaping domestic violence or other crisis situations. More than 72% of the families receiving diapers live below the Federal Poverty Level and 68% live on less than $20,000 per year. Sadly, 23% of the families we serve have recently left home due to domestic violence. The diapers we provide help alleviate monthly costs that would otherwise be a burden for so many of these families.
Families who struggle to afford diapers and wipes live in a constant state of stress and face challenges every day to make ends meet. Our mission is to make sure every baby in the greater Austin area has enough diapers tonight and every night and every parent feels loved and supported.
There are many ways to get involved and support our mission:
Make a Donation - https://www.austindiapers.org/donate-dollars.html
Volunteer in our warehouse - https://www.austindiapers.org/volunteer.html
Host a Diaper Drive - https://www.austindiapers.org/host-a-diaper-drive.html