NEW ORLEANS (press release) – In honor of National Diaper Need Awareness Week Sept. 18 – 24, the Junior League of New Orleans (JLNO) is reaffirming its commitment to helping families facing diaper need by hosting a community diaper and basic needs drive at their headquarters, 4319 Carondelet St. in New Orleans, Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
JLNO is asking for the public’s support by donating disposable diapers for children and adults, including opened boxes of unused products. The JLNO also accepts financial donations, which allows the organization to purchase basic needs supplies at a deeply discounted rate. Those wishing to donate online can do so at the JLNO website.
“The Junior League of New Orleans appreciates all of those who have supported our Diaper Bank over the past almost 10 years,” said JLNO President, Ashley Llewellyn. “We are honored to help address the diaper need gap in our region and will continue to look for ways to educate the public about this devastating issue. We hope all those in Greater New Orleans will help us to meet this significant need in our community.”
Diapers can cost up to $100 per month, and babies need six to 10 diapers per day. Despite the expense and need, no direct government assistance is available for diapers. Yet according to a recent survey by the National Diaper Bank Network, one in two families in the U.S. struggle with diaper need.
- 47% reported struggling to provide children with clean, dry diapers.
- 46% reported reducing other expenditures to afford diapers.
- 53% said they felt judged as a bad parent/caregiver because they could not afford diapers.
- 25% of parents and caregivers with diaper need reported having to miss work or school because they did not have enough diapers to drop their child off at childcare, and reported missing, on average, 5.1 workdays in the past 30 days.
- This represents a loss of $296 per month for a parent earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
To learn more about JLNO’s diaper drive or the Diaper Bank, visit jlno.org.
