Catherine Lynott cannot emphasize enough that some families “have to choose between putting dinner on the table and having clean diapers for their baby.”
In fact, the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN)—of which The Outreach House is a member—estimates that over 7 million diapers are needed to meet diaper insecurity in DuPage County alone, and both the NDBN and Lynott say that diapers can cost $100 a month per child, which is not covered by either WIC (Women, Infants, Children) or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.
The origins of The Outreach House are rooted in the needs of infants and young children in a program called First Things First, so naturally, offering diapers continues to fulfill one of those necessities most needed by parents and/or adult caregivers.
“Out and About” reported in February that as part of the NDBN’s 15th anniversary, founding sponsor Huggies® donated 15 million diapers to the network—and in turn, The Outreach House was chosen among NDBN members to receive 130,660 Huggies® diapers for First Things First.
Now, thanks to a $163,000 grant supported by the DuPage Community Transformation Partnership—a collaboration between DuPage County and the DuPage Foundation—The Outreach House will be providing more storage space for a diaper bank by expanding its facility with a 3,200-square-foot space next to the food pantry.
Lynott said the grant will cover the “build out,” such as flooring, paint, shelving, “the operational stuff we need.”
She said that prior to receiving the grant, The Outreach House was chosen for a six-month review earlier this year by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Alumni Nonprofit Consultants, or BANC, whose team evaluated the food pantry’s programs, finances and capacity.
“I saw an opportunity to apply for this [review],” she said, adding that the report indicated a diaper bank would “strengthen the broader safety net for DuPage families.”
Lynott then included that information as part of the transformation partnership grant application process.
The diaper bank will become a hub for nonprofits in DuPage County whose facilities might not have as much access to, or space for, diapers. The director related that there will be a “tiered partner agency fee to cover some of the admin costs of the program,” adding that when it comes to distributing diapers, “The tier selected by each partner agency will dictate how many diapers they can order.”
According to Lynott, The Outreach House alone distributes at least 50 diapers per month per child, adding up to more than 200,000 diapers a year distributed to The Outreach House guests.
“We have a specific budget for diapers” from which The Outreach House can buy diapers in bulk from the NDBN. However, diaper donations (even open boxes) are always welcome, as are organized diaper drives, she mentioned.
In addition to the NDBN donation earlier this year—which Lynott said is about six months’ worth—the grant funds will also provide a truckload of roughly 200,000 diapers.
“We’re not changing our services,” she emphasized, but instead The Outreach House will be hiring someone to manage the diaper bank “to provide diapers to other nonprofits in DuPage County.”
A press release from The Outreach House states that this will be the only diaper bank in DuPage County and only one of 10 in Illinois.
Back to the “dinner or diaper” dilemma: It is a domino effect of sorts when parents cannot leave their child in child care without adequate diapers, so they miss work and lose income. And, the release says, there is also “infant and maternal health and stress” from not having enough clean diapers.
“No parent should ever have to choose between diapers for their baby and putting food on the table for the family,” DuPage Foundation Vice President Barb Szczepaniak stated in the release. “We are proud to invest in the creation of this county-wide diaper bank that will support the needs of young DuPage County families and we’re so excited to see this project come to fruition.”
Lynott said the vision of an expanded diaper bank was “already in our strategic plan,” adding, “We knew in our future that’s where we wanted to go.”
She just didn’t expect it to become a reality so soon, after moving into the 15,000-square-foot food pantry just last year—at roughly three times the size of the former location on Main Street.
Lynott expects work to begin on Oct. 1 and to be ready to open around mid-December.
“This will make a big difference,” she commented.
The bottom line, for Lynott, is that “Thanks to our community we’ve continued to grow.”
For more information on The Outreach House, located at 700 Springer Drive, Lombard, including hours, volunteering and donations, visit www.theoutreachhouse.org.
