Assemblyman Stirpe: CNY Diaper Drive Helps Families in Need
Central New York families work day in and day out to provide everything their children need for a healthy, happy life. But, the fact of the matter is, fundamental necessities like diapers can be too expensive and out of reach for families barely making ends meet. That’s why I’m partnering with CNY Diaper Bank to collect diapers for its third annual “Make a Mother’s Day” Diaper Drive.
The drive will take place throughout May, and I encourage members of the community to donate diapers at my office at 7293 Buckley Road, Suite 201, N. Syracuse, NY 13212. The CNY Diaper Bank hopes to collect 100,000 diapers during this year’s drive.
CNY Diaper Bank is a local nonprofit that provides diapers to Central New York families in need, working with 15 agencies, including the Rescue Mission, ACR Health and the Salvation Army, to distribute 30,000 diapers each month.1
Over 1 in 5 children in Onondaga County live in poverty.2 That’s especially troubling considering diapers alone can cost around $100 a month for a family with just one baby.3 Neither SNAP nor WIC cover the cost of diapers, leaving many parents without an adequate supply.
No parent should ever have to choose between basic necessities for their child, nor should they be forced to scrimp on diapers that keep infants clean. Changing diapers every few hours is important for babies’ health and well-being.4 Infrequent changing can lead to skin irritation and rashes, and the resulting crying can cause stress on parents and babies alike.5 Luckily, organizations like CNY Diaper Bank are available to help more families access diapers so they aren’t put in that position.
Residents wishing to help during the third annual Make a Mother’s Day Diaper Drive can donate diapers of any size, including open packages of unused diapers, throughout May at my office or any of the following drop-off locations: Fayetteville Free Library; Liverpool Public Library; any of the NOPL branches; and Manlius Library.
For more information on this event or if you have questions about any community issue, please feel free to call my office at 315-452-1115 or reach me via email at StirpeA@nyassembly.gov.
____________________
1. cnycentral.com/news/local/local-group-donates-more-than-100k-diapers-to-help-families
2. http://www.ongov.net/health/documents/OnondagaCountyCHA-CHIP.pdf
4. americanpregnancy.org/first-year-of-life/changing-a-diaper
5. Ibid.