Junior League of New Orleans Diaper Bank celebrates 10 years of supporting families
NEW ORLEANS (Sept. 17, 2024) – Founded in 2014, the Junior League of New Orleans (JLNO) Diaper Bank has distributed more than 9.6 million diapers to families in need throughout the Greater New Orleans region. In honor of National Diaper Need Awareness Week Sept. 23 – 29, JLNO is inviting the community to host product drives or volunteer for a shift at the Diaper Bank.
Diapers can cost up to $100 per month, and babies need six to 10 diapers per day. As a result, many families are forced to stretch their resources, often making difficult choices between buying diapers and meeting other essential needs.
“Imagine having to choose between diapering and feeding your child or your child having to spend dawn to dusk in the same diaper,” says JLNO President, Tara Waldron. “The JLNO Diaper Bank is committed to ensuring that all babies have enough diapers to stay clean, dry and healthy.”
Despite the expense and need, no direct government assistance is available for diapers. Yet according to a recent survey by the National Diaper Bank Network, one in two families in the U.S. struggle with diaper need.
47% reported struggling to provide children with clean, dry diapers.
46% reported reducing other expenditures to afford diapers.
53% said they felt judged as a bad parent/caregiver because they could not afford diapers.
25% of parents and caregivers with diaper need reported having to miss work or school because they did not have enough diapers to drop their child off at childcare, and reported missing, on average, 5.1 workdays in the past 30 days.
· This represents a loss of $296 per month for a parent earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
The JLNO Diaper Bank was born a decade ago from a collective vision to empower women and uplift families. JLNO’s goal is to host drives, buy products at a highly discounted rate and provide volunteer support for sorting, packing and distributing. Ten years after its founding, JLNO is still supplying partner nonprofits in the area with diapers and has added period supplies and adult incontinence products to the inventory. Not only does JLNO work to address the immediate needs of families, but they are also steadfast in raising awareness and advocating for increased access to these essential products.
Individuals or groups interested in volunteering during Diaper Need Awareness Week can do so at the Diaper Bank distribution warehouse Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at 1109 North Al Davis Road, Unit A in Elmwood. Volunteers are asked to sign up for a shift by emailing diaperbank@jlno.org.
To learn more about JLNO’s Diaper Bank and how to host a product drive, visit jlno.org/diaperbank.
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*Editor’s Note: Click here for images. There will be a distribution event held Sept. 27 at 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Media interested in attending the event should RSVP to darian@gambelpr.com by Sept. 25.
About Junior League New Orleans
Junior League of New Orleans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to advancing women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration and training. More information on the organization can be found at www.jlno.org