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Health & Fitness

Helping Mommy & Me

A diaper drive for Sarah's House at Ft. Meade, an emergency& transitional shelter for families, will be held at the Ridgeview Plaza, 2633 Annapolis Rd. (Rte 175), Hanover, Sat. & Sun., June 21- 22 from 9-6. There will be a truck provided by All My Sons Moving & Storage out of Halethorpe located between Taco Bell & Lima's Chicken to collect the donations.

Why a diaper drive? Ensure families in poverty have an adequate supply of diapers and wipes for their infants and toddlers. Raise community awareness that "basic human needs" includes diapers and wipes and that these needs are not being met for children living in poverty and low income homes, not covered by Social Service Benefits (Food Stamps). Many people are not aware of how desperately diapers are needed by families in our community. Since government assistance programs do not cover diapers, families in need turn to non-profit social service organizations for help. The need for diapers quickly exceeds the supply. By gaining community support, we will be able to collect enough diapers to ensure that, in our county, every baby’s basic need to be kept clean and dry is met. We seek to help the basic needs of infants in our community.

The need for diapers effects many groups in our community: Low income and poverty level families compromise on essentials like bills, food and rent, being forced to choose between necessities and diapers. Pregnant women & women with children in shelters. Working low-income moms, who must take their own diapers to daycare or otherwise be turned away. Grandparents who are raising grandchildren, living on a limited budget. Middle class families who have lost their jobs.

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Impacts on Families and Children: A normal infant uses up to 12 diapers/day & a toddler uses up to 8 diapers/day. A child may be in a single diaper all day or longer. Many people do not have their own transportation and may have to rely on local convenience stores, whose costs are more expensive. Diapers, wipes, baby wash, lotions, shampoos, diaper creams, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, etc. cannot be purchased with SNAP (food stamps) or WIC checks. Without diapers, parents are forced to reuse diapers, which have profound and complex affects on both the child and the parent. Children suffer painful chafing, rashes and UTI’s and naturally with such discomfort will be a source of stress, anxiety and depression for the parent. Often times, there will be difficulty with mother–child attachment. Infant crying has long been linked to child abuse.

Daycare centers will not accept cloth diapers and require 6 to 8 disposable diapers a day (no diapers, no daycare, no job). Access to a washer and dryer may not be available & laundromats do not allow you to wash cloth diapers because of sanitary issues. In most cases money is not available for a laundromat or transportation to get there.

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Please help make a difference! If you can't make it to Ridgeview Plaza that weekend, you may also donate year long at the UPS stores at Ridgeview Plaza & Odenton Shopping Center, Hops & Vines at 8743 Piney Ridge Parkway, Odenton or the Elks Lodge at 8261 Brock Bridge Rd, Laurel. You may also make a monetary contribution directly to Sarah's House.

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