Huggies, Boston Dads Group Helping Tackle Diaper Need Issue

DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Huggies®.

Several members of our Boston Dads Group recently joined forces with with Huggies and its No Baby Unhugged program to help create care packages of children’s winter clothing, diapers and wipes to aid families struggling to meet the basic needs of their children.

Keeping a young child clean, dry and healthy — especially in the cold of a New England winter — is a challenge for any parent. A recent Diaper Need and Its Impact on U.S. Families study by the National Diaper Bank Network and its founding sponsor, Huggies, found that one in three U.S. families (36%) are in diaper need or struggle to provide enough diapers and wipes – often because they had to face the difficult choice between buying food or necessary baby care products. The study also revealed that 73 percent of moms and dads feel they are not being good parents when their children are left too long in a dirty diaper.

That’s why our Boston Dads spent a morning at Cradles to Crayons’ Giving Factory creating dozens of “KidPacks” for children who are living in homeless or low-income situations. Winter KidPacks included weather appropriate clothing for a week so a child can travel to school, play outside with friends, and go to medical appointments, even in the coldest weather. The care packages for the youngest kids included Huggies diapers and wipes that were either donated by individuals or by Huggies distributing through organizations like the National Diaper Bank Network.

Huggies became a founding sponsor of the nonprofit National Diaper Bank Network in 2011 to help combat diaper need in the United States. In six years, it has grown from 40 to more than 300 diaper banks across the country. Huggies has donated more than 200 million diapers and wipes to its cause during that time through its No Baby Unhugged program.

“At Cradles to Crayons, nearly half of the orders we fulfill are for a child 3 years old and younger, which means that the demand we see for diapers is overwhelming,” said Lynn Margherio, Cradles to Crayons’ founder and CEO. “Despite skipping meals or taking on additional jobs to be able to afford diapers, our families are still stretching the diapers they have as far as they will go — which means reusing soiled diapers, or leaving babies in them for too long. Diapers are an absolutely critical component of the essentials we provide. We see caregivers missing crucial hours at work because day care centers won’t take a child without the required amount of diapers for the day. Without diapers, a baby’s health can be compromised, and our mission is to distribute the basics so all children can grow up happy and healthy.”

All our Boston Dads Group volunteers at the Giving Factory that day were at-home fathers with young children, so the issue felt close to home as we packed clothing for older toddlers. We took care to only include high-quality items as we selected jackets, sweaters, shirts, pants, pajamas and other essentials every kid needs. We learned from our orientation that “Quality = Dignity” is a belief that drives the nonprofit’s mission.

“It was great to have an opportunity to volunteer,” said Boston Dads Group member Alex Santiago. “I’m glad we were able to help dozens of children get the clothes and goods they needed.”

Help fill the National Diaper Bank

You can join City Dads Group and Huggies in the fight to combat #DiaperNeed and help children get the things they need to just be kids:

• Support the National Diaper Bank Network by making a monetary contribution at org, visiting a local diaper bank or even hosting a diaper drive.
• Visit Huggies.com to learn more about diaper need, and donate your Huggies Rewards points to help combat diaper need.
• Visit the Cradles to Crayons’ Giving Factory website to learn how you and your family can get involved to help kids in need in the Greater Boston area. The nonprofit also has centers in Chicago and Philadelphia.

About our sponsor

Huggies believes deeply in the Power of Hugs, which is why every diaper and wipe is inspired by a parent’s embrace. The Huggies No Baby Unhugged program helps ensure all babies get the hugs they need to thrive by supporting hugging programs in hospitals and donating diapers across the country. Learn how you can help at Huggies.com. #HuggiesCouncil #ad