HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — Free clothing, formula and diapers are available inside the Baby Basics Closet at YWCA High Point.
“So many people are so grateful,” said Regina Johnson, director of the YWCA High Point Women's Resource Center. She said, “One woman said to me, 'She's out of diapers and she doesn't know what to do.'”
It's a decision Michelle Schaefer Auld never wants her family to have to face, and it's one that inspired her to start North Carolina Diaper Bank from her Durham kitchen table in 2013.
“Diapers are so important. Without diapers, babies can't grow,” said Shafer Auld, founder and CEO of Diaper Bank of North Carolina. Government assistance programs like WIC and food stamps do not cover diapers.
Currently, Diaper Bank distributes 5.5 million free diapers each year to organizations that work with families across the state, including YWCA High Point.
“We know that people who are struggling with diapers are also struggling with other needs, and we want to connect them to programs that can help them in a variety of ways.” said Schaefer Auld.
Schaferold said the need for diapers has increased by 2,000% in the Triad since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She attributes it to inflation.
“Everything is more expensive,” she said. “Families' money is increasing, but their income is not.”
Diaper Bank had a warehouse in Winston-Salem, next to the Winston-Weaver Fertilizer Plant, and attracted about 400 volunteers each month.
Diaper Bank lost 1 million products when the factory was hit by a fire on January 31, 2022.
“The diapers were working as best they could and soaked up all the chemicals that were in the material and on the ground… We tested them and found that they were contaminated. It turns out,” Schaefer-Old said. “We had to lose all our inventory.”
Nonprofits have had to make difficult but necessary decisions.
“We couldn't afford to serve this area and pay the cost of a warehouse,” Schaefer-Old said. “So we chose to put that money toward diapers and services for families who are rebuilding.”
Diaper Bank hopes to secure funding to hire a development coordinator for the Piedmont Triad and then begin fundraising to build a new warehouse.
“We are proud of our dedication to keeping families in our area and serving them, but now Diaper Bank needs help,” Schaefferold said. Ta.
Schaefer-Old said the best way to support the Diaper Bank and ensure it re-establishes itself in the Triad is to donate.
That's because the company has good partnerships with manufacturers and suppliers, allowing it to buy truckloads of diapers at a fraction of the cost.
Of course, donations of diapers are also welcome.
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