street roots
Dec. 7, 2012
Diaper
demand
indicative
of families
in need
BY SARA GATES,
ANNA ARUTYUNOVA
AND REBECCA GRAY
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
very Tuesday night, a small group
gathers outside of the First Baptist
Church, waiting for the doors to open
for a weekly hot meal. This particular line,
though, looks a little different than many
others in downtown Portland. As a long
haired man with a wide smile opens the
door precisely at six o’clock, young men
Families with children have become the fastest growing population o f people experiencing homelessness, leading to a rising demand fo r diapers.
pushing strollers and women with toddlers
hoisted on their hips pass through.
This line is made up entirely of families.
each child.
across the greater Portland area, including
One local mother who experienced this
They come to the weekly Dinner and a
Jen Lawrence, the program’s
two in Washington state.
frustration firsthand is hoping to make a
Movie gathering to eat, watch a film on the
development director, estimates the group
Individuals donate children’s items, such
difference by founding a new organization,
church’s projector screen and occasionally
gave away 800 packages of diapers last year.
as clothing and toys, and NCO volunteers
the PDX Diaper Bank.
pick up donated clothes or personal items.
“It’s a real need,” she said.
sort the items and prepare packages for the
“Wdien my husband was in law school, we
They come also for something much less
Dinner and a Movie took note in the rise
shelters, caseworkers and other clients that
were on the receiving end of services,”
recreational and far more essential: diapers.
in the number of homeless families years
serve families in need. Last year, they gave
Rachel Alston says. “We qualified for food
Diapers aren’t covered by food stamps,
ago and changed its program to
out over half a million diapers.
stamps and all kinds of aid, but there was
need to be replenished constantly and have
accommodate the new demographic. The
“Diapers are our single biggest need,”
nothing for diapers.”
to fit properly to do their job. And with
outreach began in 2001 as a way to reach
says Debbie Sherwood, president of NCO.
Still in its planning stages, the group
families now the fastest-growing segment of
homeless youth, allowing anyone younger
“After we pay our building expenses, which
hopes to become a centralized donation
Portland’s homeless population - last year’s
than 25 to come for a meal and a movie.
center (similar to Northwest Children’s
are relatively small, any monetary donations
Point-In-Time Count of Homelessness
Outreach) but one focusing solely on
we receive go to buying diapers.”
About four or five years ago, Lawrence,
sh o w ed a 35 p e rc e n t in c re a s e in th e n u m b e r
says, m any of th o s e s tr e e t k id s s t a r t e d
Bridges to Housing, a family-focused
providing diapers to agencies for
of u n s h e lte re d fam ilies w ith ch ild ren — th e
com ing w ith b ab ie s of th e ir own. L aw ren ce
h o u sin g program, estimates that more than
distribution.
need for diapers has never been more
said they looked at what resources were
2,500 families in the Portland-Vancouver
Just last year, mega-brand Huggies
urgent.
already available in Portland and decided
area are without safe, permanent shelter on
partnered with a few diaper banks around
“I’ve gotten my son’s diapers here for his
the families needed them more.
any given night.
♦
the country (including Westside Baby in
entire life,” Kevin, a 35-year-old single dad,
“How can you make a bigger impact than
Northwest Children’s Outreach impacts
Seattle) to found the National Diaper Bank
says on a recent Tuesday night over a plate
trying to effect the next generation?”
many of those families by working with
Network. Alston has applied to become a
of spaghetti and meatballs. “This place is
Lawrence asks. “We decided to be the
more than 200 agencies to distribute
partner bank with the network, allowing
like my family now.”
support that many of these parents need to
diapers, clothing and toys. Caseworkers and
Portland families to benefit from bulk and
He started attending Dinner and a Movie
break the cycles of abuse that might have
program directors like Lawrence place
corporate donations on a much larger scale.
more than 10 years ago. At that time, he
brought them to the street in the first
weekly orders based on their regular clients’
“We’ll collect diapers from individual
says he was a homeless youth prone to
place.”
requests, but sometimes the demand
donors and companies and store them
violence. Today, he volunteers alongside the
Not only are diapers necessary for
outpaces the supply.
similar to how a food bank operates,” Alston
organization’s leaders, who eventually
children’s basic health and hygiene, but they
“It’s a basic need, and we definitely
says. “But instead of distributing diapers
helped him into Narcotics Anonymous, find
are crucial for parents who rely on day care.
cannot fill all of the orders we receive,”
directly to families, we’ll work with local
stable housing and retain custody of his son
Most daycare centers require a full day’s
Sherwood says. “Without a reliable supply,
nonprofits that already have an existing
Alex, now 3 years old.
supply of fresh diapers in order for a baby
client base.”
we know mothers have to make tough
Kevin’s face, with its easy smile and
or toddler to attend. When a family does not
choices and get creative.”
Alston hopes to include cloth diapers as
bright blue eyes, is now the first to greet
have enough diapers, the parents may not
Sherwood’s caseworkers report that
part of the PDX Diaper Bank, but only if
families as they file in on Tuesday nights.
be able to go to work or job interviews.
some mothers choose to diaper their babies
parents in need request them. While cloth
While the youngest guests play together
only at night, changing wet clothes and
Like many of Portland’s family-focused
diapers are reusable and less costly in the
in the nursery, their parents sit down to a
cleaning up as best they can through the
services, Dinner and a Movie looks to
long term than disposable diapers, many
movie — on this night it’s “Indiana Jones and another local nonprofit, Northwest
families do not have easy access to washers
day. One mother she knows lines her baby’s
the Temple of Doom” — and look through
and dryers.
diaper with a paper towel. When the baby
Children’s Outreach (NCO), for the diapers
the donation table’s pile of clothes for their
they distribute each week to families like
wets the diaper, she simply changes the
The report w as/ produced as part o f a
kids’ sizes. The bags of diapers are doled
Kevin and Alex. The large faith-based
towel, stretching out her 20-diapers-per-
collaboration between Street Roots and
out carefully, with one bag of 20 diapers for
organization operates seven drop-off centers
week supply.
E
Portland State University.