Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services
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Diaper Drive for National Diaper Need Awareness Week

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What: Diaper Donation Drive 
Location: 51 High Street, Bristol, CT 
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022
When: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM


diaper


The Youth and Community Services division needs your help restocking the Caring Closet! We're recognizing National Diaper Need Awareness Week (DNAW) from September 27 - October 1 with a Diaper Drive to benefit the Parent and Child program's Caring Closet. Founded to offer income eligible families basic need items free-of-charge, the Caring Closet helps meet the immediate basic needs of families by supplying unopened diapers, wipes, baby wash, formula, clothing, etc. for children. Let's restock the shelves together!
Location: BPRYCS Main Office (51 High Street). 
 
Additional opportunities to give to the Diaper Drive include donating to the Amazon online virtual diaper drive where diapers can be sent directly to the Caring Closet. The Caring Closet is also collecting monetary donations so that, for every $1 donated, the Caring Closet can purchase eight diapers to offset financial needs for local residents.
Current High Need Items Identified by the Caring Closet:
5T diapers
2T, 3T, & 4T diapers
Baby wipes
Baby body wash
Diaper rash cream
Nursing pads
Lanolin Nipple Cream for Breastfeeding

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Diaper need is defined as the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep an infant or child clean, dry, and healthy. Currently, diapers are not subsidized by federal or state assistance programs such as WIC and SNAP.

Lauren Kittle, who oversees the Caring Closet commented, “1 in 3 U.S. moms report suffering from Diaper Need, which impacts the physical, mental, and economic wellbeing of children and their families. Parents try to make do without diapers by stretching their supply, by leaving babies in dirty diapers longer, or by reusing diapers. Lack of diapers has a profound impact on families, including health risks like rashes and urinary tract infections for children and mental implications such as stress, anxiety, and depression for parents and children.”
 
Community Services Coordinator, Aubrey Minkler, reiterated the importance by referencing a recent Yale Study where Psychiatrist Megan Smith said “There are cases sometimes where moms are taking off a diaper, scooping out what's in it and putting it back on a child”.
 
Founded to offer income eligible families basic need items free-of-charge, the Caring Closet helps meet the immediate basic needs of families by supplying unopened diapers, wipes, baby wash, formula, clothing, etc. for children. The Caring Closet collects, stores, and distributes resources through a network of community, nonprofit, educational and health care partners serving the Bristol community. The services offered are intended for clients who are experiencing difficulty meeting their daily material needs. This service is a much-needed resource since government programs – including food stamps and WIC – do not provide funding for diapers.  Diapers cannot be obtained with food stamps and are classified with cigarettes, alcohol, and pet food as disallowed purchases.
 
Youth and Community Services Supervisor, Stephen Bynum, is hoping the Diaper Drive serves as a reminder to the community that resources are available if you’re struggling, “COVID has exacerbated many financial burdens, the department’s Youth and Community Services division, the Parent and Child program, and the Caring Closet are valuable resources available to the community.”
 
If you know a family struggling with diaper need or if you’re struggling to provide diapers for your youngest children, you are not alone – please reach out the Parent and Child program Coordinator, Lauren Kittle, at (860) 314-4690, or LaurenKittle@bristolct.gov. The Caring Closet program operates on a first-come, first-served basis. All items are supplied through community donations and may not always be in stock. The Caring Closet is currently operating by appointment only.



diapers

* Adjustments and discounts will be applied during checkout if applicable. *

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