Tiffany Asher, [email protected]
GREEN RIVER, WYOMING — During last Tuesday’s Green River City Council meeting, Mayor Pete Rust proclaimed National Diaper Need Awareness Week during the week of September 18 through 24, 2023.
TJ Lopez, board member with United Way of Sweetwater County, accepted the proclamation. “As you all know, diaper need is a huge issue, not just in Sweetwater County, but all around the world. Between our county and Uinta County, we have provided at least 72,000 diapers in 2022.”
In the proclamation, it explains that one in three families struggle with diaper needs. Children go through six to twelve diapers each day during the first two to three years of their lives. Children in low-income families are at the greatest risk because these families cannot afford to buy diapers. In the state of Wyoming, 14% of the families are earning less than 100% of the Federal Poverty Level and 23% earn 100% to 200% less. Most childcare facilities require parents to provide diapers for their children. In the state of Wyoming, 59% of parents experiencing diaper need who rely on childcare said they missed an average of four days of work or school in the past month because they didn’t have diapers.
Mayor Rust stated, “Green River is proud to be home to trusted community-based organizations including Community Diaper Bank of Southwest Wyoming that recognize the importance of diaper needs.”
According to the National Diaper Bank Network, the week draws attention to the issue of diaper needs in the U.S. A signature initiative of the National Diaper Bank Network launched in 2012, the National Diaper Need Awareness Week provides individuals, organizations, communities, and elected officials the opportunity to engage in real talk and simple actions. By working together we can ensure that all babies have access to clean diapers and other basic necessities required for them to thrive and reach their full potential.
There are many different drop-off locations around Sweetwater County. If you are interested in donating diapers, please call United Way of Sweetwater County at 307-362-5003.
