Imagine needing diapers for your child and not being able to afford them or any basic needs to care for your child and yourself. That was what two NJ Moms envisioned when they started their charity, with the idea that no one should have to go without life necessities. Their vision morphed into The Moms Helping Moms Foundation, a non-profit baby, diaper, and period supply bank dedicated to creating a future without child poverty. Since its beginning, the foundation has donated over 1 million diapers and over 470,000 period supplies and helped over 160,000 people. Learn more about the foundation and how you can help through volunteering, donating items or money, advocating, or hosting your own supply drive for this New Jersey Foundation. And learn about more ways that you can help others throughout the year. (featured photo credit: Moms Helping Moms)
Helping Moms and Babies
Book distribution at locations like Elizabeth Public Library, a Moms Helping Moms partner, helps bring literacy to those in need. Photo Credit: Moms Helping Moms
Ensuring all babies in NJ get a fair start in life
Although many economically disadvantaged families qualify for federal and state assistance programs, diapers are surprisingly not included as an eligible purchase. That’s where founders Bridget Cutler and Megan Deaton help bridge the gap. The non-profit spearheads Healthy Start for Babies, which distributes over 2,516,000* critical essentials per year, including over 1.3 million diapers, and Safe Start, which has helped distribute 124 new car seats annually. Their mission is also to help moms with menstrual health and hygiene. Healthy Periods distributes over 473,000 menstrual products annually to prevent “period poverty.” They also aid early literacy for moms of new babies, distributing books and literature to parents and caregivers on the importance of early reading. Overall, their advocacy has raised awareness for everything from diaper needs to period poverty on local, state, and federal levels. And they are continuing to grow—next year, Moms Helping Moms will have a new executive director, expanded warehouse space to keep up with their growth, and a new mobile outreach program, which will help develop their reach to diaper deserts, primarily in Northwest and South New Jersey.
The diaper wall at the Moms Helping Moms warehouse in Warren, NJ, is always in need of more donations. Photo Credit: Moms Helping Moms
Here’s How You Can Help
You can help by volunteering (ages 14+), donating items, hosting a supply drive, advocating, and donating money to Moms Helping Moms. When items are donated, every item is checked for cleanliness, quality, and usability (any clothing that does not meet expectations is sent to a textile recycling center). Over 90% of all donated items find a new home, and any open diaper packages are re-packaged and distributed rather than thrown away. The foundation operates out of a 3,000-square-foot warehouse based in Warren, NJ, where they collect, organize, and distribute everything they have. They partner with 95 social service agencies across New Jersey, including food banks, homeless shelters, and healthcare centers, and they are officially affiliated with three national networks: the National Diaper Bank Network, Baby2Baby, and Alliance for Period Supplies.
To learn more about the foundation, visit their website, Instagram, and Facebook.
Moms Helping Moms
223 Stirling Road, Suite E
Warren, NJ 07059
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