Organization battles diaper need in our area
Every baby deserves to be clean, healthy and dry.
Yet, 5.2 million children in the U.S. under the age of 3 suffer from diaper need, according to the National Diaper Bank Network.
Cathy Battle, director of the non-profit Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank, called it a “silent crisis.”
According to NDBN estimates, disposable diapers can cost as much as $100 per child, per month, consuming as much as 20 percent of a family’s income. And, an average infant or toddler requires at least 50 diaper changes per week over a three-year period. The problem is that one in every three mothers finds it difficult to provide the needed amount of diapers for her children.
In this area, it’s practically reached a crisis level, officials said.
Governmental resources, like food stamps, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and other types of assistance don’t cover the costs of this vital need.
Battle said she and her husband, the Rev. Phillip Battle Jr. couldn’t fathom that. They founded the WPDB in 2012 with a mission of distributing free diapers to prequalified, low-income families in the region.
Cathy Battle said the WPDB doesn’t distribute the diapers, but networks with social service agencies and partners with them to help distribute them to the families that need the assistance.
“Our vision is to service all nine counties in Western Pennsylvania, so there isn’t any child without an adequate supply of diapers,” Cathy Battle said.
Initially, the WPDB partnered with two social service agencies in Allegheny County to distribute the diapers, but in six years has expanded to partner with 32 different social service agencies in five counties in the region, including Washington and Westmoreland counties.
The WPDB just added to new active partners — Westmoreland Community Action and Wesley Family Services – in Westmoreland County, where infants and toddlers currently require 18,000 diapers per day. And, they aren’t done. The Battles said they are working hard to expand into the entire nine-county region, including Fayette County.
To do so, the Diaper Bank is searching for various social services agencies that could be partners with them to distribute diapers to low-income families in Fayette County. Interested agencies can contact the organization at 412-373-3074 or visit www.wpadiaperbank.org.
According to Cathy Battle, the organization is working hard to raise awareness about diaper need by helping the community organize diaper drives to keep up with the need. Civic groups, businesses and corporations, churches, hospitals and doctor’s offices, schools, fraternities and sororities and any club can help by arranging a diaper drive. She said there have even been individuals and families who have held a diaper drive in coordination with a baby shower or child’s first birthday.
She encourages anyone interested in hosting a diaper drive to visit the WPDB website at www.wpadiaperbank.org, where information on getting a diaper drive started can be found, along with an already-designed diaper drive announcement template can be downloaded.
Cathy Battle said they have seen families, groups and clubs really make it a fun process by turning it into a competition to see who can collect more diapers at their drive.
“In Western Pennsylvania, we’re very competitive,” said Cathy Battle. “We don’t mind making sport of anything.”
Businesses can also get involved by registering to become a diaper drop-off point, she said. The organization has several, but needs additional drop-off points.
The organization also accepts cash donations. Battle Jr. said they’ve formed relationships with a number of diaper manufacturers, including Kimberly-Clark, the makers of the Huggies brand of diapers, to purchase diapers at discounted rates. Cash donations go further because of those relationships.
Battle Jr. said he knows they are helping; however, it’s a drop in the bucket.
“We’ve had some impact, but we’re still just scratching the surface,” he said.