The diaper drive will run through Dec. 12.
The Diaper Bank of Greater Atlanta was recently established to meet the increasing need of families in crisis who are unable to provide diapers for their children or purchase adult disposable undergarments for themselves, said Adrienne Hopkins, DBGA executive director.
Since September, it has hosted diaper drives and distributed more than 4,500 diapers to local community partners, which include the Community Health Foundation, Feed My Lambs, Tapestri, City of Refuge and Eden Village.
“I was actually watching television and a commercial by Huggies came on that said one in three families are able to provide diapers for their children,” said Hopkins, who co-founded the nonprofit. “And the show that came on right after that was about a woman who was nine months pregnant and homeless. Being a mother of two small children, knowing how expensive diapers are, I was moved with compassion.”
Diaper donations can be dropped off at two locations: Shannon Upton State Farm at 1600 Kennesaw Due West Road, Suite 204, in Kennesaw, or the UPS store at 2774 North Cobb Parkway, Suite 109, in Kennesaw. Packages to UPS should be labeled “The Diaper Bank of Greater Atlanta #353 c/o The UPS Store.”
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, families constitute about 41 percent of the homeless population.
Hopkins said the need for diapers is directly connected with the rising rate of homelessness and poverty in America.
“If you need diapers, then you’re probably going to need food, and if you need food, then you probably can’t pay your bills and things of that nature, so it’s a basic necessity that is not covered by food stamps or WIC,” she said.
Hopkins said parents without sufficient resources often allow their children to reuse disposable diapers, exposing them to staph and other infections. Too many elderly adults, she said, struggle to afford the rising costs of adult disposable undergarments.
“One of the reasons we decided to partner with other agencies is because if I gave you some diapers, you’re going to need some more next week,” she said. “However, when you partner with the agencies, they can also provide them with different services that will help them get back up on their feet.”
Individuals who cannot donate at the two locations can make an online donation at www.thediaper
bankofgreateratlanta.org or make a diaper purchase from the organization’s Amazon Wish List.
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