An unexpected donation of 60,000 Huggies diapers is helping The Maker’s Place, a diaper bank and neighborhood resource center, fulfill its commitment to serve families in Trenton, NJ.
The shipment of diapers arrived in February and is the largest single donation received by The Maker’s Place since it began operations in 2019.
Each month, The Maker’s Place’s Diaper Depot distributes about 25,000 free diapers to families at 10 locations throughout the city of Trenton.
As a United Methodist Hope Center, The Maker’s Place relies on donations from individuals and regional Methodist congregations to meet its commitment to area families.
In some months, it can be a scramble to ensure they have enough supplies, said Callie Crowder, executive director of The Maker’s Place, which operates from Trinity United Methodist Church in Ewing.
You can help us continue to serve families in need by donating diapers, making a contribution, or volunteering your time at The Maker’s Place. Visit makersplace.org.
The news of the Huggies donation came as an incredible surprise, said Crowder.
“We are so grateful for this donation so that we can continue to love on families by easing financial stress, and helping babies stay healthy,” Crowder said.
Diapers are an essential need that is not covered by other forms of assistance. Without enough diapers, parents can be turned away from childcare, miss work, and lose income, according to the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN).
Diapers can cost $70 to $80 per month per child, and nearly half (47%) of U.S. families with young children cannot afford the diapers their children need, according to NDBN. One in four families reports missing work or school because they can’t afford diapers.
“When we make sure babies have clean diapers, we’re strengthening families, supporting working parents, and investing in the well-being of the entire community,” Crowder said.
The donation was part of a nationwide initiative by Huggies’ parent company,
Kimberly-Clark, to celebrate NDBN’s 15th anniversary by donating 15 million diapers to member banks nationwide.
In addition to distributing diapers, The Maker’s Place runs programs to support motherhood and self-care for moms and caregivers.
Its YOUFirst program helps mothers and caregivers build a supportive peer community while exploring skill-building activities on topics such as stress management and preventive mental health, contributing to healing and self-actualization.
“The Maker’s Place exists to connect neighbors with neighbors, so that all God’s children can experience life in an abundant community, and the Diaper Depot program facilitates those connections month after month,” Crowder said.
“We are so honored to serve in Trenton. We envision a community where every person is a maker in their own life and community.”
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