An effort to get a diaper bank started in Berrien County is picking up momentum. United Through Motherhood’s Ruth Kremer tells WSJM News there’s a great need for diapers in the area as a mother with a baby can’t leave her child at daycare if she doesn’t have enough diapers. With costs for everything up, the problem is growing. United Through Motherhood worked with Peace Lutheran Church, Temple B’Nai Shalom, and the YMCA to collect diapers starting last year. They started out by giving them to The Center for Better Health in Benton Harbor and the Berrien County Health Department.
“The clients at the Berrien County Health Department needed them a lot because they flew off the shelves, and then we organized another diaper drive in March,” Kremer said. “This time, we had the same three partners, and we also got the Women’s Service League involved and two service clubs from the high school. So, altogether, we’ve got another 5,000 diapers we want to take over to the county health department.”
United Through Motherhood is planning an SUV caravan to take those 5,000 diapers to the Berrien County Health Department in the next couple of weeks. Kremer says the group is also expanding its list of partners and seeking a Berrien Community Foundation grant to cover the $60,000 cost of buying a semi trailer load of diapers from Huggies. Whirlpool has pledged it space and a loading dock for storage. Anyone who wants to help can email them. Here’s the address.
