Giving a little Changes a lot. Diaper Drive. DC Diaper Bank

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1 Giving a little Changes a lot Diaper Drive Toolkit

2 Giving a little Changes a lot Dear Diaper Drive Organizer, THANK YOU! You are helping babies and families in our community in a real and lasting way! Providing a baby with clean diapers creates an immediate, positive impact in the life of that individual infant and the life of that family. The DC Diaper Bank believes we can create, through actions large and small, collective and individual, a community in which families have all they need to thrive. Thank you for helping to build that community. This quick Toolkit contains flyers, facts about the need for diapers, diaper drive ideas and the simple steps to create a successful diaper drive. Also included with this Toolkit is an Excel file to track the diapers you collect. Given the large number of diapers the DC Diaper Bank receives through drives, tracking the items you collect is essential and allows you to easily share your success with those who contributed. Know that we re here to help! If there s anything we can do to make your diaper drive more successful, please let us know. We look forward to getting the diapers you collect to families who desperately need them! DC Diaper Bank Staff

3 HOSTING A DIAPER DRIVE! So, you want to host a diaper drive to help babies in our community? You re the best! And you re in luck: All you need to know is below! 1. Call or Us! We Can Help! Before you hold your event, please get in touch with the DC Diaper Bank to let us know you plan on holding a diaper drive. We can tell you if there are any specific sizes we are especially in need of at that time and send you an easy spreadsheet to tally your collection total. We can also help you publicize your drive. 2. Pick a Place! Location, Location, Location: Think BIG! Could you host it at your workplace? Your child s school? Your place of worship? Is there a well loved local business that might be interested in hosting a diaper drive with you? Be sure you select a location that is easily accessible to many people 3. Choose A Time! Plan on holding your diaper drive for at least a week, and maybe as long as three weeks, so people have enough time to donate. Does it make sense to tie your drive to a specific holi-day or happening? Is there an already planned event in your community that you can part-ner with for instance, a school fair you can be a part of? A community festival? A used book sale at your library? A local performance? Be sure to tell guests that in lieu of dia-pers they can give a cash donation, which allows us to buy diapers at a discount. 4. Get the Word Out! There are tons of free ways to advertise: Use the social networking world send s, post your drive on Facebook and Twitter, ask your friends to share it with their friends. Are there local bloggers who can help spread the word? What about school newsletters? Be sure to include the dates you are collecting diapers and the location. And remember, one of the best ways to advertise is still word of mouth, so talk about the drive to anyone and everyone! 5. Collect and Tally the Diapers! Place a large, brightly decorated box in a convenient place where people can drop the dia-pers. Be sure to label the box (see the drop box flyer in this kit or create your own). Once the diapers are collected, tally the total using the spreadsheet provided. Share the results with everyone who participated. Finally, get in touch with the DC Diaper Bank so we can coordinate the diaper drop off or pick up.

4 DIAPER DRIVE ideas! Team Up You can easily organize and run a drive by yourself, but think about hosting a drive with a few friends. You maximize networks for spreading the word and minimize the work by sharing it among a few people. Locations Galore So many places are ideal for a diaper drive! Here are some that come to mind right away: Your church/temple/mosque/place of worship Your school/pre-school Your workplace Local library Coffee shops Children s stores/boutiques Salons / Spas Community play spaces Your neighborhood association or block Healthy Competition Who doesn t love winning? Turn your drive into a competition offer small prizes for the department in your office that brings in the most diapers or award certificates to the class that collects the most. Friendly competition can also help spread the word and increase turnout. Make It a Party If you re already planning a party ask folks to bring a pack of diapers as their admission fee. What about hosting a: Baby Shower Birthday Party Cocktail Party Just Because Party Game Night Movie Night Sunday Morning Talking Heads Watching Party (this is DC, after all!) Play-date party at your home or a community space Or simply a diaper donation party Encourage Next Time -itis Be sure to advertise your results to all those who participated and others as well. Couch your results in terms of this time we collected or this time we raised so people understand there is a ongoing need. Send thank you notes to all who helped make the drive a success. Start planning your next diaper drive!

5 Giving a little Changes a lot WHY DIAPERS? Families that are not able to afford an adequate supply of clean diapers often must leave their babies in a single diaper all day, which can result in diaper rash and other detri-mental health issues. The pain that a parent or caregiver feels at not being able to meet their children s basic needs adds stress and tension to the already difficult task of parenting. Babies exposed to stressful environments for long periods of time are affected nega-tively both emotionally and physically. Excessive crying, often the result of diaper rash or discomfort, is the number one cause of child abuse. Nonprofits working with families and individuals consistently list diapers as an ongoing and high priority need. Despite this need, government food subsidies do not cover the cost of diapers or other hygienic supplies. HOW YOU CAN HELP! DONATE DIAPERS Do you have extra diapers that your child has outgrown? Can you pick up an extra pack when you do your regular diaper run or order? The DC Diaper Bank accepts new, clean, disposable diapers. They can be dropped off or we can arrange to pick them up. HOST A DIAPER DRIVE Diaper drives are easy to organize and can be held by an individual or a group. Neighbors, schools, friends, families, workplaces, religious organizations and many others can all hold successful diaper drives. We ve created a simple DCDB Diaper Drive toolkit along with flyers and tips for getting the word out about your drive. info@dcdiaperbank.org to get the toolkit and let us know about your diaper drive. GIVE to the DC DIAPER BANK Your donation to the DC Diaper Bank allows us to purchase diapers for families in need. By providing monetary support for the DCDB you allow us to provide specific requested sizes and quantities which we can t always count on from diaper drives alone.

6 HELP BABIES AND TODDLERS IN OUR COMMUNITY DIAPER DROP! A baby needs 10 to 12 diapers a day and a toddler needs approximately 8 diapers. Costing between $100 and $120 a month, diapers are an expense that many families struggle to afford. 1 in 20 moms who has had to cut back on other purchases to pay for diapers has reused a disposable diaper. 36% of parents living in poverty routinely run out of diapers for their infants and toddlers Babies who remain in dirty diapers for prolonged periods ex-perience diaper rash, infections, and other health problems.