SAN ANTONIO — The Texas Diaper Bank - which does more than simply provide diapers to families in need - is now offering home-delivery.
For anyone living locally, items from its three main programs can be received via home-delivery or by mail (for those living outside the delivery area):
- Diaper Assistance - provides immediate relief to families in crisis with diapers, wipes and other healthcare products.
- Incontinence Assistance - provides access to incontinence supplies and other healthcare products to individuals experiencing incontinence (children with disabilities, adults and seniors).
- Healthy Women Period - distributes period supplies and hosts self-care classes, which clients can receive more resources on mental health and the importance of self-care.
The move comes amid the pandemic in order to keep both clients and staff safe.
“Many people don't know that you can't use food stamps or WIC to pay for diapers. In fact, there are no state or federal child safety-net programs that allocate dollars specifically for the purchase of diapers,” Ashley Hernandez of the Texas Diaper Bank said.
According to Hernandez, one in three U.S. families report experiencing diaper need - which is described as the lack of a sufficient supply of diapers to keep an infant or child clean, dry and healthy.
“With the holiday season already beginning and during a national pandemic, the Texas Diaper Bank is wanting to help families in a safe way by providing low-income families with basic need items including diapers, incontinence products and period supplies,” Hernandez said. “This is also during a time that Texas State has been reporting record high unemployment rates exacerbating the need for basic essential items like diapers.”
For anyone wanting to donate or help, there are many ways to get involved.
“You can help by either donating unopened items, volunteering your time to repackage diapers while practicing social distancing in our clean facility or donating via our website to fund diapers, incontinence and/or period supplies or any of our parenting health and wellness classes,” Hernandez said.
Qualified families and individuals enrolled in each program will receive six months of the usual number of supplies that Texas Diaper Bank provides via home delivery. Clients can re-enroll every six months thereafter. To qualify for services, families and individuals must live at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Line.
Texas Diaper Bank primarily serves clients in Bexar County, with services extending to 13 surrounding counties, depending on which program they are a part of. Some counties also include: Atascosa, Bandera, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Hays, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, McMullen, Medina and Wilson.
To learn more, visit the Texas Diaper Bank’s website.