Washington for Justice coordinates diaper drive

WASHINGTON — Local advocacy group Washington For Justice is holding a diaper drive at several locations in town.

W4J Director Dan Henderson said the diapers would be collected at drop boxes in Hy-Vee, the United Methodist Church, Washington Mennonite Church, Washington Public Library, Dodici’s Shop and Northside Diner. From there, volunteers will pick up the items and bring them to HACAP for distribution to families in need.

“They are probably set up better to distribute, knowing who those families are, they work with them,” Henderson said. “That’ll help them, they need donations for what they do.”

Henderson said the six-week drive — which started in March and ends April 15 — was inspired by conversations during the group’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day event in January. While Washington For Justice is best known for its advocacy efforts and annual food giveaways, Henderson said members were inspired by King’s Poor People's Campaign, a poverty assistance movement the civil rights leader helped launch months before his assassination in 1968.

Census data estimates that 15% of Washington residents fall at or below the poverty line, and Henderson said there were over 2,000 households in Washington County at or near the poverty line.

The group hasn’t set a specific goal for the drive, but Henderson said it was reasonably easy to coordinate, and had collected 2,000 diapers as of March 26.

“I know a lot of those homes probably have young children, because young people also have lower salaries,” he said. “So we thought, ‘Well, let’s do this, let’s run a diaper drive and maybe help ameliorate some of the stress.’ A child needs to be changed at least 12 times a day … that can run anywhere from 70, 80 bucks a month, maybe $100 a month, and for a family near poverty, that’s almost out of reach.”

It’s the first time Washington For Justice has undertaken such an effort, but Henderson said he hoped to repeat it next year if it went well.

HACAP Washington County Operations Director RenElla Crawford said the effort was much appreciated, and hoped it would bring in more donations in the drive’s final weeks. She said her organization’s office on Orchard Hill saw families come in to request diapers at least daily.

She added that those interested in donating were welcome to do so at the office — located at 2175 Lexington Boulevard, Building 1, in Washington — and said any drop-offs would be credited toward W4J’s efforts during the drive.

“Diapers, of course, are a very important part of what they have to buy for their kids, and they are very costly,” Crawford said. “It really helps out families, and we’re glad we have them to give to them, when they request them.”

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