‘Make a Mother’s Day’ diaper drive in Deschutes County
The Make a Mother’s Day Diaper Drive is an effort to collect diapers for families in need in Deschutes County.
Organized by a group of Bend moms, the drive will begin Mother’s Day weekend and run through the end of May.
The diapers collected from the drive will benefit organizations and programs that work directly with families with young children, including Mountain Star Family Relief Nursery, Bethlehem Inn, Mosaic Medical, City Care, and the WIC and Maternal Child Health programs through the Deschutes County Health Services.
An average infant uses up to 12 diapers per day and a toddler uses up to eight diapers per day. Yet there are no government safety net programs, such as food stamps, WIC, or Medicare, that help cover the purchase of diapers.
If a family can’t afford diapers, babies often spend extended periods, sometimes all day, in the same soiled diaper. This leads to health risks, including diaper rash, resulting in unhappy babies that are more likely to be abused.
In addition, the vast majority of day care centers will not accept children without diapers for the day, meaning parents who are already struggling to make ends meet are unable to go to work.
The goal of the drive is to provide diapers to our partner agencies so that they can distribute diapers to those in need. It is also to help raise awareness of this often overlooked area of need and engage the community in our mission.
Collection bins are located in over a dozen businesses around Bend, including Strictly Organic Coffee, COPA, Cascade Indoor Sports, and Richard’s Donuts. Help us “make a mother’s day,” please donate diapers and help raise awareness of the need for diapers in our local community.
