Hilarious video! Guess men wouldn’t trade places with women

Photo credit via Creative Commons: epSos.de

Our friends at the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently published a study that found that prescription contraceptives are more expensive in low-income zipcodes than in wealthier areas. Cost is a leading barrier to access to birth control and contributes to unintended pregnancy rates.

Low income families are also challenged by the cost of diapers and food deserts. Diapers cost an average of $75 to $100 a month, not to mention all the other expenses for a child! Limited or no access to fresh fruits and vegetables adds to the fact that basic health needs are not met. All of these issues compound the challenges that low-income families have to fight against.

Now we see from this study that yet another significant hurdle exists for homeless and low-income mothers: inequality of access to birth control.

Dr. Jeffrey Peipert, vice chair of clinical research at Washington University in St. Louis Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, responds in the Huffington Post:

“The big question is why don’t we, in the U.S., level the playing field so all women can have equal access to no-cost contraception? Why should we have any inequalities at all?”

How is it that lower-income families may have to pay more for birth control? Have you ever been in a position to need help accessing birth control?

Lucy’s is a company that makes cookies and brownie cakes that are allergen-free. Dr. Lucy Gibney experienced the terror of how dangerous food allergies can be when her newborn son had an anaphylactic reaction to formula. Luckily, Gibney and her husband are both doctors, so her son made it through, but that’s when they found out that he was allergic to many, many different foods.

So Gibney made it her mission to develop a snack that her little boy could eat. I mean, how sad would it be for him to grow up without ever being able to eat a cookie? Eventually she came up with a recipe that was not only loved by her son, but by everyone else she knew, and so she started Lucy’s, a line of cookies and treats made especially for people with food allergies. (But they’re tasty enough that people who don’t have allergies buy and eat them, too!)

The company is even building a highly specialized commercial bakery that is completely free all tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, etc. to further reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Now that’s dedication.

Gibney herself says “Mothers and Fathers make the world work by bring up the next generation.  I’m always eager to help make that better for someone who could use a little support.  We all need help at one time or another in life.  I like to always payback and pay forward!”

Lucy’s mission is to help children. Our mission is to help children. That is why we are so proud that Lucy’s is a major supporter of our  3rd Annual Let Good Grow Benefit Tea this Saturday. Attendees will be getting a little sweet treat from Lucy’s so they can discover just how tasty – and allergen-free – life can be.

Thanks, Lucy’s!

Photo credit via Creative Commons:
Katie Tegtmeyer

 In 2009 we decided to give up asking for flowers or brunch for a less commercially charged day. We wanted to find a simple way to give back and help struggling moms (and dads) care for the bare necessities. There is no public assistance for diapers and often they are an unmet need.

Honor the special moms in your life by making a contribution in their honor. You can make a difference for new moms and their little ones!

Learn more about why diapers are a small thing with a huge impact.

Mother’s Day is May 12, and when you make a gift, we will send the mom you love a swell card by email or snail mail. Simply tell us who and where to send the card to when you fill out your contribution.

Honor the mom you love today. They’ll love you for your compassion and generosity!

~ Valeria

This just in:  Help a Mother Out is featured in the March 2013 issue of Parents Magazine! A big thank to all of you for making it possible for us to keep helping babies, and applause to Parents for sharing our mission with their readers, and for their support!

The National Diaper Bank Network is pleased to announce the NDBN Affiliate Partnership Program.  The NDBN Affiliate Partnership Program is designed to create a robust national network of diaper banks, which distribute diapers to families in need through social service agencies.  NDBN will assist these Partners to even better address diaper need in their areas by providing targeted assistance to allow the selected partners to concentrate on infrastructure, development, and other organizational priorities that will lead to increased sustainability and growth.

Diapers cannot be purchased with food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) or the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance for Women Infants and Children (“WIC”).  As a result, families in need must draw on their own limited funds to buy diapers which may cost as much as $100 or more each month.  Diaper banks provide families assistance with this basic need for babies and toddlers.   According to the National Center on Children in Poverty, 3 million American children under 3 years old live in poverty, most of whom wear diapers.  At a rate of six diapers per day, diaper-wearing children in poverty in U.S. need over 6.7 billion diapers a year to stay dry and healthy.

“Diaper banks are essential organizations.  Because they are often grass roots movements starting out of someone’s kitchen or church basement, they are also often vulnerable ones, without secure funding or the staff time to develop new resources,” explains Alison Weir, director of programs at NDBN. “By providing diaper banks with a reliable supply of diapers and targeted technical assistance, we support them as they become stronger and more sustainable to allow them to meet the needs of more low-income families.”

Through an application process, NDBN selected Regional Partners, Community Partners, and Feeding America affiliated Food Bank Partners to participate. These programs were selected based on demonstrated ability to distribute diapers through a large network of agencies and potential for growth.  Thanks to a generous donation of diapers from NDBN’s founding sponsor Huggies®, each Partner will receive a large and assured supply of diapers that will allow it to concentrate on infrastructure, development, and other organizational priorities that will support increased sustainability and growth.

NDBN is proud to announce its new Affiliate Partners:

NDBN Regional partners

• Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona, Tucson, AZ
• Happy Bottoms, Kansas City, MO
• HRPCH, San Antonio, TX
• LA Diaper Bank, Santa Monica, CA
• The Diaper Bank, North Haven, CT
• Westside Baby and Eastside Baby Corner (Joint), Seattle, WA

NDBN Community Partners

• A Small Hand, Edinburg, VA
• Arkansas Rice Depot, Little Rock, AR
• Bundle of Joy/Diaper Depot (Joint), Chicago area, IL
• Capital Diaper Bank, Richmond, VA
• Captain Hope’s Kids, Dallas, TX
• DC Diaper Bank, Washington, DC
• Help A Mother Out, San Francisco, CA
• Homeward Bound Diaper Drive, Phoenix, AZ
• Junior League of Boca Raton Diaper Bank, Boca Raton, FL
• Midland Community Diaper Bank, Midland, MI
• Piedmont Diaper Bank, Winston-Salem, NC
• Sacramento Foodbank & Family Services, Sacramento, CA
• The Diaper Train, Raleigh, NC
• Tri-Cities Diaper Bank, Richmond, WA
• World Vision, Phillipi, WV

NDBN Food Bank Partners

• Atlanta Community Food Bank, Atlanta, GA
• Food Bank of Northern Indiana, South Bend, IN
• Food Bank of the Rockies, Denver, CO
• North Texas Food Bank, Dallas, TX
• Treasure Coast Food Bank, Fort Pierce, FL

About the National Diaper Bank Network

The National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) is a formed national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that every child in the United States has an adequate supply of diapers to remain clean, dry and healthy. Its mission is to raise awareness of diaper need and to build the capacity of diaper banks throughout the country by creating a national network of community partners. For more information please visit www.nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org.