How these Nashville nonprofits are working together to combat diaper need

Sherah Ndjongo, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read

In Tennessee, diaper need has become a troubling issue. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, diaper assistance in the state has increased to more than 240%. The average age of new mothers in-state is 24 years old, and women who are in their 20s make up 54% of all who give birth.

In response, local nonprofit Nashville Diaper Connection and findhelp.org are on a mission to distribute millions of free diapers to mothers without access to the essential products.

Erine Gray, founder of findhelp.org, began the organization after his mother fell ill, and as her caretaker he struggled to find resources for her as she underwent treatment. Findhelp.org was born out of a need to make receiving assistance using a free online search tool a smoother process.

Volunteers from Loveless Cafe, Second Harvest, Ladies of Charity, and Nashville Diaper Connections have continued to connect with students and families while schools have been closed throughout the pandemic, at Hillwood High School in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021.
Volunteers from Loveless Cafe, Second Harvest, Ladies of Charity, and Nashville Diaper Connections have continued to connect with students and families while schools have been closed throughout the pandemic, at Hillwood High School in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021.

At the RISE Summit on Social Determinants of Health in March, findhelp.org began discussing an expansion of its relationship with Nashville’s sole diaper bank, Nashville Diaper Connection, which serves approximately 10% of low-income families with young children in the Nashville area.

“We realized that our goals are the same, which is connecting to people with resources — with diapers, with formula, with whatever it is that they’re looking for," Savannah Cleveland, a community engagement manager for findhelp.org in Nashville, said. "How can findhelp be the conduit through which diapers are connected with people?”

Nashville Diaper Connection does not distribute diapers to people directly. It does so through a network of providers, resulting in the nonprofit itself not appearing on findhelp.org's search results. Brandi Jack, an operations coordinator at Nashville Diaper Connection, elaborated:

"We have 93 partner agencies that we work with that distribute diapers to the public. And we work with partners for many reasons, but one of the many reasons is families can go to one of our partners and get multiple resources," she said.

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Nashville Diaper Connection diapers support up to 3,500 babies and toddlers every month through the partner network which aims to help alleviate other family needs, from food and personal hygiene items to housing, childcare and education.

According to Jack, there are no other safety nets that pay for diapers.

"Neither SNAP (food stamps) nor the WIC (Woman Infant Children) program allow for the purchase of diapers," she said. "Diapers continue to increase in cost, along with food, housing, and childcare while minimum wage remains the same. The effect on Nashville's low-income families is the continual push down into poverty."

Jack emphasized that on Mother's Day on Sunday, just as every other day, trying to bring awareness to mothers' needs is paramount. Opportunities to donate, from in-demand items to financial contributions, are always appreciated.

"You know, one dollar equals the equivalent of three dollars in the retail store," Jack said. "We always say it takes three things to make a diaper bank work: dollars, doers and diapers. If I have the first two, I can get the last one. ... At the end of the day, our goal is to have no child ‘wet behind.'”

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How to donate diapers, baby formula to Nashville-based mothers