Ever since we got the call from the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) letting us know we had been selected as a Community Partner we can’t stop smiling – or planning! With this incredible partnership we will receive technical support, resources, and 250,000 diapers over the course of the year. You read that right – 250,000 diapers! The picture here is when we received our first ever shipment of diapers from NDBN – 22,000 back in 2012. Multiple those boxes (and that smile) by 10!
Alison Weir, the director of programs at NDBN explains perfectly why this program is such a lifeline for us here at DC Diaper Bank: “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….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.”
And that’s a good part of why we’re planning. So much of our time at DCDB is spent thinking about and planning for inventory needs. We distribute 35,000+ diapers a month to our network and that means we need to have 75,000 – 100,000 in inventory to meet the demand that’s right around the corner. We’re always thinking several months down the line. These diapers and the expertise from NDBN will allow us to slow down a little and focus more of our energy on longer term planning, ensuring our distribution network has the tools they need to integrate diapers most effectively into their programs, and raising funds to guarantee we’re here to help families for as long as it’s needed.
In the coming months we’ll be moving to a new warehouse space and announcing some new programs to ensure that our families and little ones have the very basics they need. We are so grateful to the National Diaper Bank Network and their founding sponsor Huggies for this incredible partnership. Check out this Huffington Post article by NDBN Executive Director Joanne Goldblum for more on this partnership program. Back to planning!
– Corinne Cannon, Founder & Executive Director