AURORA, Colo. -- A Denver-based nonprofit donated 30,000 diapers to Colorado families in need on Monday. WeeCycle collects, “weecycles” and matches essential baby gear to families through partner organizations focused on alleviating poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, teen pregnancy and under-employment.
Local diaper company ABBY&FINN also donated 10,000 diapers as part of the diaper distribution on Monday.
With the rising cost of living in the Denver metro area and the expense of raising children, organizers said this resource is a huge help for families who are barely getting by.
"We are just barely meeting the need," said Lindsey Zaback, WeeCycle Diaper Bank Coordinator. "If families can't afford their electricity bill or their rent that month obviously diapers is something that could be cut. It is not that they do it because they don't care about their children or because they don't want to have the diapers but they have another need that they have to pay."
The WeeCycle Diaper Bank donates tens of thousands of diapers serving dozens of nonprofits in Colorado each month, but that is only scratching the surface of the one in three American families who can't afford diapers.
"Knowing how much and how big of a need it is for them to have those diapers on hand, it really comes full circle," said Felicia Allen, with Families Forward Resource Center.
Families spend an average $70 on diapers a month per child. With multiple children, that amount can easily double or triple. Of those families, some parents are missing up to four days of work each month because they can't provide the full supply of diapers for their kids' childcare. In severe cases, reusing diapers is the only option for some families.
"They are folding diapers inside out and duct taping them so that they can reuse the other side," said Zaback.
If you would like to donate diapers to the WeeCycle Diaper Bank, click here. For monetary donations, click here.
If you are a family in need or know a family in need, click here to get connected with a local non-profit in your community that receives support from WeeCycle.
