After hurricane Irma passed through LaBelle several families were left without basic items to care for their babies. The idea for the MOPS Diaper Drive came to be after MOPS Coordinator, Megan Narehood, went to donate a box of diapers to the Dallas Townsend Center where they were distributing supplies to families in need. She was made aware of a lack of diaper donations and wanted to do something to help. After a quick google search about diaper drives, she discovered September 25 – October 1 is Diaper Needs Awareness Week and decided there was no better time to kick off a diaper drive.

According to the study “Defining diaper needs and its impact on maternal and child health,” published in the journal of Pediatrics in July 2013 and the Huggies Every Little Bottom survey completed in 2010 among mothers with babies ages 0-4 across the nation, one of every three moms in the United States suffer from diaper need. “Diaper need is the struggle to provide babies with clean, dry diapers.” The problem is becoming larger. Mothers with diaper need report, “more difficulty with stress management, depression, and coping with trauma- which can negatively affect a child’s health and development.”

The MOPS Diaper Drive began on Monday, September 25 and will run until Friday, October 27. Donation bins are set up at Winn Dixie and Save-A-LOT. Donations of diapers and wipes made to MOPS of LaBelle will be given to our local Salvation Army and other local agencies to be distributed to those in need. You can also make monetary donations at Belle’s Ice Cream Bar. There is a donation jar set up there.

For more information on the diaper drive contact Megan Narehood at (239) 206-9881 or mopsoflabelle@gmail.com. More information about Diaper Need Awareness Week can be found at http://nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org.