Having a baby is expensive. For many, the cost is overwhelming. For low income parents the cost means making difficult choices about what essentials are purchased each month and what must be sacrificed.
Currently distributing diapers and baby supplies to thousands of individuals in North and Central Jersey through an extensive network of partners, Moms Helping Moms Foundation (MHMF) is helping to ensure that babies don’t go without life’s necessities. “Ensuring that families have the basics, especially diapers, is one of our highest priorities at Moms Helping Moms Foundation. One in three families in the US struggle to provide enough diapers for their babies. This causes immense stress and anxiety for the mom and puts the baby at risk of extreme discomfort, and diaper-related illnesses”, explains Bridget Cutler, founder & executive director. Diapers are pricey, and many families struggle to afford them. A baby needs close to 2800 diapers in its first year alone, which costs approximately $1000. WIC and SNAP, benefits that low-income parents rely on to help cover the cost of essentials, do not cover diapers. “I know it seems like small things, but when combined together, it’s a big help especially financially. When my income is so limited as it is – it means that I don’t have to worry where her diapers are coming from,” reflects a mom who receives diapers from MHMF for her infant daughter.
MHMF is a North Plainfield-based nonprofit primarily serving Somerset, Middlesex, Union, Essex, and Morris Counties. In 2017, the foundation distributed 155,000 items and 150,000 diapers through a network of 40 well-established social services agencies serving the same population: food banks, teen parenting programs, maternal health initiatives, transitional housing programs, and domestic violence shelters. Rebecca Tucker, director of programs at MHMF remarked, “Our partners can focus on their clients’ pressing needs because they don’t have to worry about finding them basics like diapers, wipes, clothes, and toiletries.”
There are several ways that community members can support the mission of Moms Helping Moms Foundation:
- Donate baby or children’s items including clothes, shoes, strollers, and high chairs;
- Volunteer to help sort clothes, package diapers, or fill a client’s wish list; the organization welcomes volunteers during specific weekday hours, on one Wednesday night a month for ‘Sort & Sip’events, and on the second Saturday of each month;
- Host a Diaper Drive on the organization’s behalf, for which the Foundation can provide a tool kit; and
- Help the foundation expand its programs and reach more people by providing monetary support.
“We can purchase diapers for a fraction of the market price and size them appropriately for each child,” Cutler said.
The non-profit is at 22 Howard St. (back building) in North Plainfield and can be reached at info@momshelpingmomsfoundation.org. For guidelines on the types of donations the organization will accept, visit momshelpingmomsfoundation.org/donate.