The Kent District Library (KDL) has teamed up with the Great Start Parent Coalition and ACCESS Food Pantries to help families with young children in need. They are collecting one of the most basic necessities for infants and toddlers: diapers.
Until June 30, seven KDL branches will have collection boxes available for diapers to be donated to families in need. Unopened packages of disposable diapers in any size can be dropped off at these KDL branch locations: Cascade Township, East Grand Rapids, Byron Township, Kentwood, Krause Memorial (Rockford), Comstock Park, and Alpine Township.
The goal of this countywide diaper drive is to collect 50,000 diapers for young children in Kent County. According to the Great Start Collaborative, one of every five babies born in Kent County is born into poverty. An adequate supply of diapers for a young child can cost more than $75 per month, and programs such as W.I.C. and food stamps do not cover these costs. When families can’t afford an adequate supply of diapers, children are often made to spend long periods of time in the same diaper, which leads to increased health risks. Cloth diapers are a challenge, because many childcare centers only accept disposable diapers, and many coin-operated laundry facilities won’t allow the washing of cloth diapers for health reasons.
Please help make a difference for the youngest citizens of our community. For more information, please call (616) 784-2007.
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