Milwaukee Diaper Mission, Medical College of Wisconsin partner for 12-hour long diaper drive

 

Updated: 10:24 a.m. on Sept. 21, 2023

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Milwaukee Diaper Mission's 2023 fundraiser collected a total of 13,383 diapers. 

Published: 3:01 p.m. on Sept. 20, 2023

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Sept. 18-24 is National Diaper Need Awareness Week.

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 47% of families reported diaper need this year.

In Milwaukee County, a nonprofit organization has made it their mission to ensure diapers are accessible.

Milwaukee Diaper Mission's largest fundraiser this year took place at the Medical College of Wisconsin on Wednesday, Sept. 20, with a 12-hour diaper drive.

"We're on a mission to provide as many diapers as we possibly can to as many community members as we can," said Meagan Johnson, executive director of Milwaukee Diaper Mission.

The goal was to collect more than 10,000 diapers.

"Right now, we're supporting about 2,500 families per month with the diapers they need," Johnson said.

When Milwaukee Diaper Mission began in 2020, 1 in 3 families with young children were facing diaper need.

Now, that number is 1 in 2, according to the National Diaper Bank Network.

"Over the last 3 years the need has grown significantly in our community, and we've seen that because of inflation, because of the pandemic," Johnson said.

Medical College of Wisconsin chose to host Wednesday's drive, aligning with their mission of community wellness.

"Without access to clean diapers, they're at risk for things like urinary tract infections and rashes, the things we don't want to see in clinical settings," said Staci Young, dean for community engagement at Medical College of Wisconsin.

The drive is part of their commitment to community engagement.

"This is something that we knew was directly going to go back to the Milwaukee area. We liked that it was going to stay local," said Justine Bales with Medical College of Wisconsin.

Milwaukee Diaper Mission says 10,000 diapers can serve 400 local children in need.

"These diapers will be brought back to our facility, they'll be packaged by our volunteers, and then they'll be distributed out over the next couple of months," Johnson said.

Donations poured in all day Wednesday, with neighbors eager to aid a good cause.

"Our future is the young people, and they need to be cared for from day one," said community member, Darla Erato.

For more information on Milwaukee Diaper Mission, click here.