Charity donating diapers to needy mothers

TORONTO – Dale McIntosh and Savannah Lockie  founded The Diaper Bank of Toronto in 2010, a non-profit organization that collects and donates diapers that are given to low-income Torontonians through local food banks, daycare centres, social service agencies and shelters.

Handing out diapers for free to low-income households in Toronto has become a passion for both moms.

“We both have young children and we just found that we couldn’t imagine keeping our children in diapers for prolonged periods of time,” McIntosh said.

Ashley Thomas, a social worker at Unison Health and Community services, said the free diapers can help the people deal with their tight budget.

“It’s the one cost you don’t have to deal with. You know now they can probably buy groceries for the rest of the week, or buy an extra treat because they have these diapers. So it’s awesome,” Thomas said.

According to McIntosh the average cost of a month’s worth of diapers is $75. To date The Diaper Bank has collected and distributed more than one million diapers to deserving families but many question why donating cloth diapers is not an option.

“The upfront cost of cloth diapers can be expensive,” McIntosh said. “Depending on your daycare situation they may or may not accept cloth diapers.”

Julia Hayhurst, a volunteer with the Diaper Bank said she knows first-hand how many diapers babies can go through.

“I think it’s 3,000 by the age one,” she said. “For my daughter’s birthday we had people bring diapers instead of gifts. Just little things you can do to contribute to people in need.”

To find out locations where you can donate or make a cash donation visit:  The Diaper Bank .