Stuff the Bus drive nets more than 430,000 diapers for families in need

From Sept. 24 through Oct. 3, drivers along U.S. 280 could see a large school bus parked in front of the Target shopping center. Volunteers were holding signs and accepting donations of diapers for the Bundles of Hope diaper drive.

The effort came about after a small group of women at Mountain Chapel United Methodist Church in Birmingham hosted a baby shower for a struggling, single mom seven years ago, and they recognized the need went far beyond one person. That simple shower led to the launch of Bundles of Hope, Birmingham’s only nonprofit diaper bank.

“Some of the women in our group had recently come back from a mission trip overseas,” said Lindsay Gray, executive director of Bundles of Hope. “While helping people overseas is amazing, we realized there is mission work all around us.”

That’s when the women decided to find a way to help the moms in need in their own backyard. “We thought, ‘What do moms really, really need?’ and diapers came up,” Gray said. “We realized there was nothing in the community that focused on providing diapers to these moms.”

The group went to work to organize and host a diaper drive. After that first event, they knew they “were on to something,” Gray said.

Babies often use eight to 10 diapers every day, which can cost up to $100 a month.

Nationwide, one in three families need diapers. Child care facilities require babies and toddlers to use disposable diapers, a hardship for working mothers who can’t afford them.

To meet the ongoing need, the group formed Bundles of Hope, which has distributed more than 3 million diapers to families across Alabama since 2015.

“Alabama is among the most impoverished states in the country, and many families need the support we can give them,” Gray said. “Diapers are super expensive. By giving parents and caregivers diapers, we are encouraging them and letting them know they are doing a great job.”

On Oct. 3, Bundles of Hope wrapped up its seventh annual Stuff the Bus diaper drive. During the 10-day drive, passersby dropped off 430,197 diapers, repeatedly filling a school bus that was parked on U.S. 280 on a gravel easement near the Target shopping center. Bundles of Hope also received monetary donations that will be used to buy diapers, pullups, wipes and other baby necessities.

Bundles of Hope distributes diapers through more than 40 community agencies and partners, including food pantries, shelters, foster care facilities, churches and Children’s of Alabama hospital. Families in need can pick up free packages of diapers and other baby supplies at the Changing Station, the Bundles of Hope diaper distribution center in downtown Birmingham.

“We bundle the diapers into packs of 25, so everyone gets the same number,” said Southern Company environmental solutions engineer Ashley Grissom, who coordinated APSO’s involvement in the project for the fourth consecutive year and regularly volunteers at the Changing Station.

Collecting diapers is not a one-time effort. In September alone, Bundles of Hope partnered with churches and other groups to host more than 70 drives across the community. The organization is on track to distribute 1 million diapers in 2021.

Monetary donations are welcome. Because the organization buys in bulk from manufacturers, a dollar goes a long way, Gray said.

“At the end of the day, diapering is what we are called to do,” she said. “But we do it to encourage and support families. That’s what we should be doing: helping families, whether it’s by giving them food, clothing or diapers.”

Bundles of Hope accepts diapers in new or opened packages, and the most needed sizes are size 6 and pullups. For more information or to donate, visit bundlesdiaperbank.org.

– Edited for space by 280 Living.