30,000 diapers, 1 day to bundle; Idaho Diaper Bank needs more volunteers
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UPDATE: Video of event added to story
IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Diaper Bank serves thousands of families throughout the Gem State, and on Thursday, it will be helping out eastern Idahoans.
The non-profit organization is bringing 30,000 Kimberly-Clark Huggies diapers to a storage warehouse at the Community Food Basket in Idaho Falls.
“Diapers for Idaho families are so important. Nationwide, one in three babies doesn’t have enough clean diapers,” Idaho Diaper Bank Executive Director Kate Aravich says.
Diaper bank administrators will be hosting a bundling party during Thursday’s drop-off. They are requesting volunteers to help bundle the diapers for use by philanthropic organizations.
“We can make quick work of bundling 30,000 diapers, which, I think, if my math is right, is 600 bundles,” Aravich says.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Food Basket. Assembly lines will be set up to repackage diapers into bundles of 50 for easier distribution to families in need. Aravich says they’ve had volunteers sign up but are looking for more hands-on workers on the assembly line.
Diapers donated to the food basket are distributed to residents by local non-profit agencies such as the Bingham Crisis Center, Shepherd’s Inn Pregnancy Resource Center, Fostering Idaho, the Parents As Teachers program, the Salvation Army and the Community Dinner Table. The Warehouse on Wheel programs also brings diapers to families living in very rural locations.
“These diapers help so much. We have been doing this for five years in southwestern Idaho, and the response is so positive, and the families are so appreciative,” Aravich says.
Aravich says most people don’t realize there isn’t government assistance for diaper purchases, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP/food stamps, or the Women Infant Children (WIC) Program.
Referencing recent Woman Infant Children or WIC data Aravich says 46 percent of Idaho’s children are living below the poverty line or are in low-income households.
“The poor spend a disproportionate amount of their monthly income on diapers, and they can be very expensive — up to $100 a month,” Aravich says. “The Idaho Diaper Bank was formed to be able to supply social service agencies with the diapers to give a supplemental supply of 50 diapers per baby per month, which equates to about a week’s supply.”
Aravich says the event Thursday will be a good time for all volunteers to learn more about diaper need in their community.
“If we have enough funding, we will be bringing in four shipments a year, and each time, we will hosting a bundling party,” Aravich says.
The best way to help the diaper bank is through monetary donations. Since it makes bulk purchases, it can get the product at vastly better rates than individuals can, even at the big box stores.
“If people would like to contribute, funding is always the best way, and that can be done through our website,” Aravich says.
For Thursday’s event, sign up at the Community Food Basket on
1895 North Blvd or email info@IdahoDiaperBank.org to let organizers know you’re coming.