Photo courtesy of Bundles of Hope.
The Bundles of Hope diaper drive will return with itsdonation bus on U.S. 280 this month.
What began as a conversation about the high cost of diapers between a group of women in 2014 has turned into a thriving nonprofit that serves around 600 families each month.
Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank was born from the idea of that group of women at Mountain Chapel United Methodist Church, which held its first diaper drive in 2014.
“We wouldn’t be able to do it without our community,” said Lindsay Gray, executive director for Bundles of Hope. “Birmingham has been great to us.”
Bundles of Hope’s mission is to provide an adequate and reliable supply of diapers to families experiencing financial hardship, while engaging the community and raising awareness for diaper need. Within their first year of operation, they distributed close to 20,000 diapers to families in need. Last fall, they surpassed the 1 million mark.
The organization will hold its fifth annual Stuff the Bus Drive Sept. 20-29, which coincides with National Diaper Need Awareness Week. The goal is to collect 300,000 diapers. During the drive, the bus will be parked in front of the Target shopping center on U.S. 280 for people to stop by and make donations. There will also be daily promotions for those who donate, along with a bounce house for kids to enjoy.
“It may be a car wash or oil change or Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich,” Gray said. “We always have a really big gift card basket raffle that comes with a donation. We appreciate people coming out and we want to give incentives to thank them.”
Gray said the most needed sizes are 5, 6 and pull-ups. Outgrown diapers are also accepted, and all donations are tax-deductible. For those who would like to help but cannot make it to the drop-off site, donations can be texted to 374-9109. A $10 donation provides a week’s supply of diapers to a family in need.
Bundles of Hope partners with around 30 existing agencies that serve families in the community and also participate in disaster relief. In Shelby County, their partners are Safe House and Shelby County Foster and Adoptive Parent Association. After the drive, the diapers are stored in their warehouse. Partners place monthly orders, and volunteers pick up the diapers for each distribution location. For more information and a list of partners, visit bundlesdiaperbank.org.
