Healthy Baby Diaper Drive
We are committed to helping babies start life healthy and ready to learn. The United Ways of Greater New Haven, Coastal Fairfield County and Western Connecticut are partnering 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.
Join the Movement
We've collected 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. Join our list of healthy baby champions.
Next Steps
1. Continue to Work Toward Our Goal of Collecting Half A Million Diapers
You can change lives today! Register your drive by sending an email to atownsley@uwgnh.org with your contact information in order to receive staff support and be counted in reaching our goal. Be sure to check the Toolkit for helpful resources.
You can also give diapers online by making a donation. By taking advantage of wholesale rates we are able to maximize your donation and purchase 8 diapers for every dollar donated. 
2. Blog or Tweet About How You Pledge to Give Babies A Healthy Start
Join United Way's blogging community, lend your voice on this pressing issue, and raise awareness in our area. You can also tweet and connect with other community members who care about ensuring babies have a healthy start.
3. Share Information With Your Networks of Colleagues and Friends
You can play a critical role in helping to change conditions in our community by simply engaging your network around these efforts. Speak up and help change lives by talking to people you know about the need and how we can all become advocates.
4. Become Informed About Policy Updates
Track federal legislation that helps provide diapers to families in need. You can also get informed on issues by learning about our work in Education, Income, and Health.
5. Write a Letter to the Editor
Letters to the editor are effective advocacy tools because they reach a large audience, create widespread support or opposition to an issue and are monitored by elected officials. Please find tips below to help you write a letter to the editor:
- Many newspapers have strict limits on the length of letters and have limited space to publish them. Keep your letter brief to avoid key points from being removed.
- Send letters to weekly community newspapers too-the smaller the newspaper's circulation, the easier it is to get your letter printed.
- Be sure to include your contact information as many newspapers will only print a letter to the editor after calling the author to verify his or her identity and address.
- Make references to the newspaper-many papers will only print letters that refer to a specific article.
6. Write a Letter to the Media
Use United Way's Advocacy Tool to compose a letter and instantly send it to area newspapers, radio, and television stations.
More information and samples are coming soon.
The Need
As the cost of basic needs rises and unemployment worsens, many more families are facing the difficult choice between providing food and housing or diapers for their babies. In families that are struggling to make ends meet, babies often spend the entire day or longer in a single diaper. Without clean diapers, babies are too uncomfortable, and sometimes too unhealthy, to play and learn.
- An adequate monthly supply of diaper costs $100/month or more.
- Infants need up to 12 diapers and toddlers need up to 8 diapers each day!
- Diapers cannot be purchase with food stamps or WIC ( Women,Infants and Children.)
- Constant crying from being left in a dirty diaper for a prolonged time increases the likelihood of abuse.
- Dirty diapers increase the risk of health problems from skin diseases to hepatitis
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