The second annual Diaper Drive to benefit area families will be Tuesday, July 19 at Chick-fil-A in Bluffton. This year’s drive will benefit both Bluffton Self Help and the Deep Well Project of Hilton Head Island.

Keeping a baby in clean, dry diapers can cost more than $100 a month. Therefore many low-income parents can only afford to purchase one diaper a day for their young children, which can increase the child’s risk of potential health problems.

“A child is never at fault for a family's living situation,” says Bluffton Self Help Executive Director Lili Coleman.

Organizing the event for the second year in a row are members of a women’s Bible study group in Bluffton. Since all the women are moms or work with children, this cause is close to their hearts. 

“As a mom of two, I know how many diapers I change in a day,“ says Laura Jacobi, one of the organizers. “This diaper drive is our way of helping the smallest members of our community.” 

Diapers are a basic necessity for families, and one which is often difficult to afford especially since assistance programs such as Food Stamps and Women, Infant and Children (WIC) do not cover the cost of diapers. This is why Coleman says the Diaper Drive is such a vital event in our community. Although most residents kindly donate food and clothing to these non-profits, diapers are typically overlooked.

“Most of those we help at Deep Well are working the $7-$8 per hour jobs, and it is not hard to see why parents cannot afford expensive diapers,” says Betsy Doughtie, executive director of Deep Well. “Using cloth diapers is not an option, for most [parents served] do not have a washing machine and dryer. Any donated diapers and wipes help Deep Well stretch our dollars to provide more services for those in need.”

Providing clean diapers to families will immediately impact their lives by improving the sanitation and the general health of their young children.

From 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, community members are asked to drop off unopened packages of disposable diapers to Chick-fil-A in Bluffton. Bring the entire family to support this cause because Tuesdays are Kids’ Night and kids eat free with the purchase of any combo meal. Baby wipes, diaper cream and cash donations for the purchase of diapers also will be accepted.

Last year, the generous community donated more than 10,000 disposable diapers to benefit Bluffton families during the first Diaper Drive. However, Bluffton Self Help says that supply only lasted about four months. The women organizing the event hope to greatly increase the number of diapers collected in order to benefit more families in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island.

For those who can’t attend the one-night drive, there are three alternate drop-off locations. These businesses and organizations will accept donations July 11-July 19 during open business hours.

• The Corner Perk, 142 Burnt Church Road, Suite C, Bluffton, www.cornerperk.com
• Piggly Wiggly, 50 Burnt Church Road, No.100F, Bluffton, www.thepig.net
• Deep Well, 154A Beach City Road, Hilton Head Island, www.deepwellproject.org 

Information about Bluffton Self Help

Bluffton Self Help serves countless individuals, who otherwise might continue to struggle to make ends meet. The non-profit began in 1987 to help working families and senior citizens in emergency need of food, clothing and short-term assistance.

Bluffton Self Help helped more than 22,000 people in the past year.

Information about the Deep Well Project

The mission of the Deep Well Project is to help those in need overcome adversity.  Deep Well is a privately funded, volunteer-based, non-profit organization which streamlines a broad range of vital social services for the working poor, disabled, and infirm within the greater Hilton Head environs. Its goal is to provide clients with a “hand up, not a hand out” by establishing shared responsibility, ultimately encouraging self-reliance and independence.

Deep Well takes about 375 requests for assistance in a month. In 2010, the non-profit assisted more than 2,000 family units. A unit could be 1 person, or it could be 8 people.

Both organizations will continue to accept donations of disposable diapers once the drive is over.