LENEXA, KS (KCTV) -
Young children in poverty are going without a basic need because their families must make difficult choices, but one organization is working to get a necessary item to children in need.
There are many organizations that help families with food and utilities, but government programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, do not cover the cost of diapers.
Many families must choose between feeding their children and buying new diapers. Volunteers with Happy Bottoms are trying to fill that need with diaper drives across the metro for Diaper Need Awareness Week.
According to statistics, one in six children in the Kansas City metro area lives in poverty.
Packages fill a Lenexa warehouse room and each of the packages holds 50 diapers. They come from donations and each package will all go to a baby in need.
"The story that stuck with me when I got involved in Happy Bottoms was hearing about children leaving their subsidized daycare centers on Friday and returning on Monday in the same disposable diaper," said Linda Cavanaugh, community relations director for Happy Bottoms.
Happy Bottoms started as a grassroots effort in one dedicated woman's basement. With the help of an army of volunteers like Cavanaugh, they are reaching more and more families just trying to make ends meet.
"You do hear stories about families reusing them or children showing up to their daycare centers in paper bags or T-shirts," Cavanaugh said.
The diaper bank partners with social agencies who then hand out the diapers to the people registered with the agencies. They've recently partnered with two new agencies, bringing their total to 19.
"We need all kinds of different types of help from volunteers to corporate sponsors," Cavanaugh said.
Happy Bottoms will soon give diapers to 950 children, but said it's estimated 15,000 children in the metro need them.
"With 15,000 children, we are just hitting the tip of the iceberg," Cavanaugh said.
Volunteers of all sorts of agencies, from Girl Scouts to senior citizens, come to its Lenexa warehouse to sort the diapers donated by sizes. People can volunteer at their Lenexa location, located at 14764 West 107th St., or their downtown Kansas City location.
Anyone's corporation or coworkers can donate or volunteer. For more info go to happybottoms.org.
The organization receives discounts that can turn $10 into a month's worth of diapers for a child.
Diaper drives will be held around the metro and all run through Monday.
Blessings Abound - blessingsaboundkc.org. Donors will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 gift certificate to Blessings Abound.
Location: 9622 Nall Ave. Overland Park, KS, 66207
PMO Optum Insights (part of United Healthcare) - optum.com
Location: 6860 W. 115th Overland Park, KS 66211
Pediatric Partners - pediatricpartnerskc.com
Location: 7301 W 133rd St. #102, Overland Park, KS 66213
Keller Williams - www.kw.com/kw
Location: 11005 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park 66210
Click here for previous coverage on Happy Bottoms.
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