Diaper donations being sought

Diaper Changes volunteer Cammie Hunt, left, of Hixson, is teaming up with her mother, Chattanooga Area Food Bank president Claire Sawyer, to give diapers to people in need. Photo by Katie Ward

Collection bins are filling up at the Chattanooga Area Food Bank with diapers for local mothers with babies in need, but more are needed.

"We need the community to donate diapers," said Diaper Changes volunteer Cammie Hunt, of Hixson. "We need people to collect diapers for us in bins too."

Hunt said Diaper Changes founder, optometrist Laura Thompson, of East Chattanooga, went on maternity leave without a steady income. She said Thompson soon discovered how much diapers cost and wondered how people without incomes afford diapers.

The federal program Women Infants and Children does not supply diapers, according to her.

"An adequate supply of diapers costs well over $100 per month," said Hunt. "Disposable diapers can cost 35 cents per change. Ninety changes per week adds up to $31.50. An average diaper period is 130 weeks and that equals more than 11,700 diaper changes. Diapers are $8 per pack for 30. So, for one child a parent pays about $4,000 for a diaper cycle."

Through Diaper Changes, mothers can earn vouchers based on their income to obtain free diapers. Hunt warned that children can get skin conditions quickly from soiled diapers.

One out of four children in Chattanooga, or 25 percent, of children live below the poverty line, according to her. She said if a mother gets free daycare but does not bring diapers, she cannot leave the child and must stay at home instead of working.

"East Side is one of the poorest schools in the district," said Hunt, who serves as a Hamilton County school psychologist. "Some of the families don't have washers and dryers in their homes and laundromats don't allow cloth diapers. Some families don't have hot water to wash with either."

CAFB president Claire Sawyer said the two nonprofits have a great partnership.

"We have a distribution system, all we need is diapers to distribute," she said.

• For more information about Diaper Changes, call the Chattanooga Area Food Bank at 622-1800. To learn more about the Diaper Changes nonprofit, visit the organization's website or send an email to info@diaperchanges.org