“It has been very heart-warming to see our community step up during our annual Diaper Drives in support of these families in need,” says Jean Mackin, the Perinatal Program administrator for CommuniCare.
Studies have shown that a new mother working full time at minimum wage can expect to spend over 5 percent of her take-home income on diapers and baby wipes alone. Meanwhile, the two biggest programs that assist low-income mothers, SNAP (food stamps) and WIC, don’t cover the expense for diapers or baby wipes. In a recent study published in Pediatrics journal, a team of researchers found that needing diapers and not being able to buy them was linked to contributing to mental health problems among new moms.
“About one in every three of the expectant mothers we see in our Perinatal Program struggles financially, and are hard-pressed to provide their babies with even the most basic essentials, including diapers,” explains Mackin. “It is our goal to be able to provide one month of diapers for each new mom in the program, creating a need for 120,000 diapers to cover the bottoms of the 600 newborns we expect our moms to deliver this year.”
Donations of new infant-size diapers (size Newborn to size 3) in the original packaging can be dropped off at the clinic locations in Davis or Woodland anytime between 8 am and 5 pm on Wednesday, February 14th, or during regular clinic hours on any following weekday through the end of the month. Monetary donations towards the purchase of diapers are also gratefully accepted in support of the Diaper Drive. Checks may be made out to “CommuniCare – Diaper Drive” and sent to CommuniCare Health Centers, PO Box 1260, Davis, CA 95617. Last year’s Diaper Drive collected the equivalent of over 17,000 diapers through donated packages of diapers and cash donations – the highest total in Diaper Drive history!
In addition to holding the annual Diaper Drive, CommuniCare works with local Girl Scouts, community groups, service organizations, sororities, and local businesses, to raise donations of diapers year round for the program. For more information, call Jean Mackin at (530) 204-5318 or e-mail jeanm@communicarehc.org.
About CommuniCare Health Centers’ Perinatal Program:
CommuniCare’s Perinatal Program is a comprehensive program that addresses every aspect of the prenatal and postpartum period for the woman, child and family as a whole. Our bilingual midwives and support staff strive to support families to achieve the best health outcomes possible for mothers and their babies. Click here for more information.
