On behalf of United Way of Greater New Haven and The Diaper Bank, we would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the Courtyard Marriott of Orange, CT, PFP/Schmitt-Sussman Enterprices, Inc., University of New Haven and Yale Conference Services for their support and fantastic acheivement of collecting 5,173 diapers for children in need. 

Jennifer Trka, Director of Sales at the Coutyard Marriott, had approached me early in the year and said she wanted her company to become more involved in the community. I had expressed a number of different ways this could be accomplished and she loved the idea of doing a diaper drive. Many people are used to participating in food drives and clothing drives, but not a diaper drive. And that is exactly why she wanted to get involved. It was something different and new that people can get excited about participating in. But in order to ensure a successful drive, Jennifer enlisted the help of the staff at Schmitt-Sussman Enterprices, Inc.d/b/a PFP, and her friends, Judy Yale at the University of New Haven, and the Yale Conference & Event Services and Yale Summer Session. With their leadership, they collected over five thousand diapers which were given to The Diaper Bank in West Haven. Some may not realize but diapers are a necessity for families and they are expensive! Unfortunately, SNAP/food stamps do not cover diapers and most daycares expect parents to provide diapers when placing their child in daycare. This can and does place a significant financial and emotional burden on families. 

The United Ways of Greater New Haven, Coastal Fairfield County and Western Connecticut have partnered with The Diaper Bank to collect half a million diapers  for lower income families in our 33-town region. Co-Chairs of this important effort are Healthy Baby Advocates Janice Gruendel,  Consultant for the State of CT Board of Education, and Irene Cornish, Superintendent of Schools in Stratford. To date, we've collected over 300,000 diapers and formed a network of people and organizations -- workplaces, muncipaliites, and civic, faith and community groups -- ready to work to create change for families in need.

Please remember it does not take a lot to make a difference and thank you to everyone for participating and making this a successful event! If you or your company would like to get involved click here more info.