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Before you go ...
I am blessed to have amazing staff at the United Way of the Southern Alleghenies. There are many times when I’ll have a half-formulated idea, and they’ll run with it.
Our Diaper Bank program is the perfect example. I simply asked our Community Impact Manager, Paula Gojmerac, what she thought about providing diapers in our region. Fast forward three years, and we have 14 distribution points in Cambria and Somerset Counties.
Addressing diaper need is one of the ways we are working to improve economic stability for families while promoting child health. Sadly, 1 out of 2 families struggle to afford enough diapers to make it through a month. This can result in missed days of work and school, as having a clean supply of diapers is often key to accessing child care.
For babies, a lack of clean diapers can mean painful skin irritation and infections, resulting in additional medical bills for families. It becomes a vicious cycle of lost work and lost wages.
Thankfully, because of programs like the Diaper Bank, there is not a loss of hope.
United Way of the Southern Alleghenies provides nearly 6,000 diapers across our region monthly. Diaper drives, like the one hosted this week by CamTran and Tractor Supply in Ebensburg, help to keep our distribution sites stocked.
The bottom line is that the basics aren’t basic, they are essential. A diaper becomes so much more when linked to child care, work, and income.
When you contribute to a community drive, the gift is in the diaper.
– Karen Struble Myers,
President & CEO
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