Dollars for Diapers About $3,300 Short of Goal

Thursday, June 12, 2014

 

The Post-Crescent's "Dollars for Diapers" Do It! Challenge is only about $3,300 short of raising $30,000.

Contributor: Rhonda Hannemann, Community Development Officer at United Way Fox Cities

When we think of basic needs diapers may not be the first item that comes to mind. But for many families buying diapers means cutting back on food, utilities, or medications. According to the Huggies® Every Little Bottom study, commissioned by Kimberly-Clark, one in three families is unable to provide diapers for their babies. And that statistic proves true in the Fox Cities.

The consequences of diaper-need include:

• Babies who remain too long in a soiled diaper are exposed to potential health risks.
• Most childcare centers, even free and subsidized facilities require parents to provide a day's supply of disposable diapers.
• Cloth diapers are not accepted at the vast majority of child care centers.
• Many parents cannot go to work or school if they cannot leave their babies at childcare.

Because of this need, United Way Fox Cities gathered community partners from the business, health care, media, nonprofit, faith-based, and early childhood sectors to establish the Fox Cities Diaper Bank in the fall of 2010. This United Way initiative is now providing over 300,000 to diapers to babies in the Fox Cities annually.

One of the ways you can help the Fox Cities Diaper Bank is through the Appleton Post-Crescent's "Dollars for Diapers" Do It! Challenge. The Challenge runs through June 15th (Father's Day) and will have a tremendous impact on the Fox Cities Diaper Bank's ability to help low-income families in our community. The goal is to raise $30,000 that will be used to purchase diapers; currently, the campaign is only about $3,300 short of that goal. Contributions to the Dollars for Diapers campaign can be made online at www.cffoxvalley.org.