With the current health crisis, the need for diapers has skyrocketed. Diapers are an essential item for any family with infants or toddlers, but unfortunately government programs like WIC and SNAP cannot be utilized to defray the cost for families. Hundreds of parents are unemployed, and cannot afford to purchase diapers, which easily accumulate into a significant expensive for families, costing upwards of eighty dollars per a month per a child. Retailers have also struggled to keep shelfs stocked with diapers because of disruption within the supply chain and influx in demand. Currently there is no diaper pantry within my community or really in the Greater Hartford Region as a whole.

In attempt to solve this injustice, Gentle Love Diaper Pantry was formed. Gentle Love Diaper Pantry is a youth led initiative that distributes diapers and wipes along with other baby essentials through a network of local agencies, including MACC Food Pantry and the ECHN Family Development Center. The ECHN Family Development Center alone serves 120 families living in poverty through their early head start program and more than a 100 additional families through the FRCs at Waddell and Maple Street Elementary School. Each month, the pantry holds a contactless diaper drive to collect diapers and wipes. Since our launch in June we have collected over 30,000 diapers and 26,000 but certainly are destined to grow with your support.