The Diaper Bank is the first of its kind in the country, providing dignity, health and independence through this critical and generally ignored necessity. No other source - from Food Stamps to the Diaper Manufacturers themselves - provides diapers to those in need.
The Diaper Bank provides diapers to those in need - individuals with disabilities, the elderly, babies - a need in the Tucson Metropolitan area alone of over 2 million diapers annually.
The Diaper Bank provides service through:
Nonprofit agencies
Religious organizations
School family resource centers
These organizations provide shelter for the homeless and a new life for those addicted to drugs. They provide counseling and medical assistance to the elderly, and a safe place for abused and neglected babies. They provide vocational training for the disabled and counseling to keep teen moms in school. Somehow every issue that affects human life is, at some point, affected by the need for diapers.
For impoverished families, spending an average of $4 a day on diapers is excessive; this expense is low on their list of priorities, below such costs as food, gas, and rent. As a result, parents often end up allowing children to wear the diapers for too long during the day, or try to clean and reuse disposable diapers, putting toddlers at risk for staph and other infections.