If you've ever been around a baby, you know there's one thing they can never have enough of - diapers. You could hoard them like they're being discontinued tomorrow and you still wouldn't have enough to last the week. Yet, too many families across the United States don't have consistent access to clean diapers. But, you can support those in need by donating diapers to one of the hundreds of diaper banks around the U.S.
Organizations You Can Donate Baby Diapers To
Rising inflation, wage stagnation, and the fact that babies are messy have all contributed to the substantial diaper inequality in America. According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 1 in 3 U.S. families experience diaper need. Thankfully, there are a number of organizations across the country that you can make diaper donations to do your part in alleviating this struggle.
The National Diaper Bank
The National Diaper Bank Network is the leading organization that works to provide families in need with clean diapers. Not only can you give money, time, and stocks, but you can also donate actual diapers. The National Diaper Bank operates in a unique way by partnering with local diaper banks and helping them distribute their goods.
Check out the list of their partner organizations to see which groups are closest to you. You can contact those groups directly to see what their processes are for donating diapers. Their list truly is the most comprehensive one currently available of all of the diaper banks in the United States. So, if you're interested in donating or need some help yourself, make sure you check out their list.
The Cloth Option, Inc.
Single-use diapers aren't the only kind of diapers you can donate. The Cloth Option, Inc. is a charitable organization whose mission is "to advocate for and provide access to cloth diapers and other reusable hygiene products to reduce diaper need and protect our environment for future generations." You can donate all sizes of cloth diapers (even ones that need slight mending) to one of their drop off sites. You can also contact a volunteer to schedule a place for drop off.
Other Places to Consider for Diaper Donations
There are a few other places you can check that may accept diaper donations, but keep in mind local organizations and groups will each have their own guidelines for donations. Some may accept partial or open packs of diapers and others may require them to be unopened. Consider checking with:
- Local daycares
- Early preschools or Mother's Day Out programs and preschools
- Area churches or religious organizations (for their nurseries or giving programs)
- Community centers
- Mom or parent groups in your community
- Food banks - many take donations of hygiene items, including diapers
- Offer them up on social media, a giveaway group such as Freecycle, or a neighborhood group such as NextDoor
- Homeless shelters, women's shelters, or domestic violence support centers
- Check with your local high school or community center to ask about programs that help teen moms; they may accept diaper donations.
Host Your Own Diaper Drive
If you have a pack or two of diapers your child won't use, you can use that to start a diaper drive in your community. This can be a great way to help others in your community, and just takes a little effort to organize and do. No matter how big or small the event, it will have a big impact on little ones' lives.
Where Can You Donate Adult Diapers To?
Babies aren't the only ones who need diapers, yet they're the ones who're often given the greatest focus in charity organizations around the country. Adults with incontinence experience just as much need as families with young children, and they deserve access to proper hygiene materials as well.
Thankfully, ParentGiving has a comprehensive list of the different organizations spanning twenty states that offer free adult diapers and incontinence products to those in need. Check out their website to see which organizations to contact to learn how you can donate.
Other places to check that may accept adult diaper donations:
- Church or community food banks
- Local senior centers
- Senior outreach or senior community programs
- Homeless shelters
- Hospice organizations
Help End Diaper Droughts in Multiple Ways
From babies to seniors, diapers are a need that's not going away anytime soon. But you can do your part to help alleviate this overwhelming need in multiple ways.
- Donate your time to a diaper bank. Of course, diaper banks need diapers to distribute, but you can also donate your time to help them be more effective with their missions.
- Be a personal diaper bank. You don't have to be a registered nonprofit to help your community. Keep diapers on hand and let community groups know you're a resource to contact for diapers if someone needs them.
- Save those half-used packages. Once your baby outgrows a diaper size, don't throw away the half-used package. Instead, see if there are any local diaper banks that'll accept them.
- Be an educational resource for those in your community. Often, people don't have any idea of where to turn when they have a need (or if there's even anywhere they can ask for help). Once you work with a local diaper bank, be an educational resource to people in your community who have no clue what they don't know.
Make the World a Little Better by Donating Diapers
At the end of the day, the hygiene system is set up to fail so many families across the United States. Low income, lack of access, rising inflation, and so many other mitigating factors make it really difficult for people to afford enough diapers for their kids' or seniors' needs. So, you can help people everywhere by donating your diapers to one of these great organizations.
