MOLINE, ILLINOIS (October 10, 2023) — Diapers are a basic necessity, essential for keeping babies and toddlers happy and healthy. Yet, nationally, half of all families report difficulty affording diapers for their young children. And the need is rising.
To address this need in our region, SAL Community Services (SAL) is partnering with Hiney Heroes of the Quad Cities for a diaper drive. SAL hopes to collect more than 15,000 diapers during the drive to distribute to families across the region. As an agency partner with Hiney Heroes of the Quad Cities, SAL Community Services witnesses the impact of connecting Scott and Rock Island County families with this essential resource every day.
The drive will kick off with a twelve-hour collection starting at 6AM, Monday, October 23, at SAL Community Services, 3800 Avenue of the Cities, Moline, Illinois.
“SAL’s priority is supporting children and their families,” said Marcy Mendenhall, president and CEO of SAL Community Services. “This diaper drive brings essential resources to the families that need them. It will support health outcomes, it will support working parents, and it will allow more families to access child care, which requires diapers for attendance.”
The drive will continue through 4PM, Friday, October 27. Diapers and pull-ups of all sizes, even in open packages, can be dropped off at all SAL Community Services locations in the Quad Cities, including:
- SAL Community Services, 3800 Avenue of the Cities, Ste 108, Moline, Illinois
- SAL's Skip-a-Long Childhood Center — Davenport, 3520 Crow Creek Road, Davenport, Iowa
- SAL's Skip-a-Long Childhood Center — Moline, 4800 60th Street, Moline, Illinois
- SAL's Skip-a-Long Childhood Center — Milan, 1800 W 1st Street, Milan, Illinois
- SAL's Skip-a-Long Childhood Center — Rock Island, 1609 4th Street, Rock Island, Illinois
- SAL's Welcoming Center, 1609 4th Street, Building 2, Rock Island, Illinois
- SAL's Child Care Resource and Referral of Midwestern Illinois, 3800 Avenue of the Cities, Ste 102, Moline, Illinois
Since 2018, Hiney Heroes of the Quad Cities has operated as a National Diaper Bank Network member and distributed thousands of diapers to families in the Quad Cities region through its agency partners. “Disposable diapers can cost up to $80 per month,” said Karree Fah, founder of Hiney Heroes. “That cost isn’t supported by SNAP benefits or any other program. That leaves a big gap for a lot of families.”
In the last decade, diaper need has risen nearly fifteen percent. Diaper need causes unnecessary stress for parents, compromises the health of babies and toddlers, and prevents families from thriving. SAL and Hiney Heroes are focused on meeting this need in the Quad Cities region, and the upcoming diaper drive offers the perfect opportunity for the community to join that effort.
Of greatest need are diapers sized four, five, and six, but all sizes are accepted. Additionally, financial contributions to the drive are also appreciated. Hiney Heroes will use any financial donations to buy and distribute diapers at wholesale rates. Donations can be made here: givebutter.com/SAL-diaper-drive-2023.
ABOUT SAL COMMUNITY SERVICES
At SAL Community Services, we provide Support, Advocacy, and Learning in our communities — from childhood to adulthood. Our mission is to strengthen children, families, and individuals to build and enhance thriving communities. Founded in 1970, we have a history of listening to the needs of our community and responding. We have grown from an organization focused on providing quality child-care to low-income working families to one that meets a wide variety of needs, from early care and education to crisis-assistance and -stabilization services. Today, SAL has a bi-state seventeen-county regional footprint from the Quad Cities to Peoria area. We advocate with and for the people we support, the communities we serve, and the solutions we champion, and we offer an inclusive, welcoming community for the people we serve — and our employees.
