When Christi Krautbauer was pregnant with her now 9-year-old son, she and her husband had to cut corners to provide diapers for their newborn.
The situation made her ask, “What would we do if we couldn’t buy diapers?” In 2014, a year after giving birth, Krautbauer got involved with the Diaper Bank of Minnesota and is now the chair of the board of directors for the organization, helping families struggling to afford diapers fill the need.
“We’re really focused on making sure there’s an awareness that diaper need exists,” Krautbauer said.
On Monday, volunteers loaded wooden pallets with diapers ranging in sizes from preemie to pull ups at a St. Paul warehouse for the Diaper Bank of Minnesota’s diaper distribution event. In 2010 the organization donated 350,000 diapers and this year it is expecting to give away more than 2 million.
As the numbers continue to grow, sometimes the bank has an overflow of diapers. Diaper distribution events such as Monday’s allow the bank to provide Twin Cities organizations outside of their 35 partner organizations with diapers to distribute to families in need.
“The need never stops, and to know that we can fill it is really rewarding,” volunteer chair Amanda Charles said.
State funding boost
While the organization receives funding and diaper supplies from individual and corporate donations as well as community grants, last year the Minnesota Legislature awarded more than $1 million to the Diaper Bank. More money meant that more diapers could be purchased and a larger warehouse would be necessary. They recently moved from a storage unit in Roseville into a warehouse in the Wycliff building in St. Paul’s Creative Enterprise Zone.
They also began seeking new partnerships with organizations beyond the Twin Cities.
“We find ourselves in a position where we have more diapers than we’re able to distribute to our partners alone,” executive director Deirdre Kanzer said, “and we know that the need is out there.”
The Diaper Bank of Minnesota has national partnerships with The National Diaper Bank Network and Baby 2 Baby, which allows them to purchase diapers from large corporations at a discounted rate. Companies like Huggies will also donate extra diapers to the nonprofit when available.
Other ways the organization receives diapers are from community hosted diaper drives, which people often have during events like baby showers or within faith led groups. Krautbauer encourages anyone interested in supporting the initiative to host their own diaper drive.
“As you spread the word, people want to help,” Krautbauer said.
Basic needs
According to the National Diaper Bank Network, one in two families struggles with diaper need. That’s close to 125,000 Minnesota children who are diaper insecure.
Krautbauer said that with the diaper need, larger issues should be addressed like providing social safety networks to help families meet basic needs and increase funding for social services like Women Infants and Children. She said people are often surprised when she tells them that WIC and food stamps don’t pay for diapers.
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“Often diaper need goes hand-in-hand with food insecurity,” Krautbauer said. “If you’re trying to decide how to spread that budget, if we can solve this need, your family also now has a little bit more resources available for food or other basic needs.”
With Monday’s distribution event more than 225 families in Minnesota will receive diapers for their children, helping fulfill the organization’s mission of “keeping baby bottoms covered.”
It’s volunteers who do the physical labor to help distribute diapers to organizations, who then give them to families. Krautbauer said the bank is always looking for more volunteers.
“It’s just a very warm place to volunteer,” volunteer Kristy Mazurek, of Coon Rapids, said.
To find out how to volunteer, donate and more, visit www.diaperbankmn.org.
