GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Next week will be Diaper Need Awareness Week in Brown County, and an announcement on Tuesday helped kick off the Brown County United Way and Greater Green Bay Labor Council Community Services Committee annual diaper drive.
“The need for diapers is very much real, and many families in Brown County struggle to afford them,” said Dan Wadle, Brown County United Way community services liaison, and diaper drive coordinator.
Nationwide, one in three families reports experiencing diaper need. Wadle says that number is mirrored in Brown County, with one in three Brown County households struggling to achieve financial stability.
“It enables families who struggle to afford it, to be able to provide diapers. It gives them a little bit more to get by and make life better for their children,” Wadle told WTAQ News. “The drive is been able to provide them about 3 months worth and it allows them to be able to serve more families.”
The cost of diapers alone can also add up to 6% of a minimum wage workers’ annual income.
“Since the pandemic hit last year, we’ve actually seen an increase in need due to financial struggles like people losing their jobs and things like that…Taking this off their plate really really helps them feel less stressed,” said Outreach and Communications Specialist for Family and Childcare Resource of N.E.W., Lauren Waters. “Definitely the need has just increased recently and we get calls every single day from parents very stressed and they just want their children to be safe and healthy and clean and happy.”
He’s projecting about 150,000-160,000 diaper donations this year. That would bring the whole drive’s total to about 1 million.
“I want to bring attention to and mobilize efforts to diminish diaper need,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach. “Diaper need is defined as the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep a baby clean, dry and healthy. I urge people to get involved and contribute so that we can help at-risk babies in our community.”
According to Wadle, babies need up to 12 diapers a day, and toddlers about eight. Most childcare centers require parents to provide a day’s supply of disposable diapers every day their child is in childcare. Without the additional support of the community through drives such as this one, many local families cannot provide the diapers their kids need.
All diapers collected will be distributed via area agencies to families in need in Brown County. Persons interested in contributing can do so either with monetary or diaper donations. Monetary donations can be given via the Brown County United Way website at www.browncountyunitedway.org. Diaper receptacle boxes are located at the following locations:
Festival Foods:
2430 University Ave., Green Bay
2250 W. Mason St., Green Bay
2534 Steffens Ct., Green Bay
2348 Lineville Rd., Suamico
1001 Main Ave., De Pere
Pomp’s Tire:
1123 Cedar Street, Green Bay
1510 W. Mason Street, Green Bay
699 Lawrence Drive, De Pere
Brown County Library branches:
515 Pine St., Green Bay
979 9th St., Green Bay
2255 Main St., Green Bay
1060 Orlando Dr., Ashwaubenon
2680 Riverview Dr., Howard
333 N. Broadway, De Pere
“The community’s generous support of past diaper drives has been wonderful. With strong support again this year, we will make a life-changing difference for Brown County’s kids in need,” said Wadle.
Last year’s drive collected 160,000 diapers which included generous contributions by Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark.
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