Money’s tight. Elevated gas bills are on the way. Groceries are more expensive. The cost of living is going up.
While people are cutting back on some things, the basic needs are, well, the basic needs. I’m talking about items such as diapers. Yes, diapers might not be top of mind for everyone, but for some people they are ultra important. Putting food on the table is one thing. Putting a fresh diaper on a baby’s bottom is another. They are both important to young families.
That’s why West Side Community Services and Every Bottom Covered are opening a new diaper bank for West Side families. The initiative is a collaboration between West Side Community Services’s Provisions 139 food pantry and Every Bottom Covered, the area’s first diaper bank.
“Ending diaper need is so important to creating a thriving and healthy community, and we couldn’t be more excited to work to help families on the West Side,” says Raziya Hill, founder and executive director of Every Bottom Covered. “West Side Community Services already has such amazing services available for their clients, and we are grateful to collaborate and add diapers to help families cover their babies’ bottoms.”
“This new service will have a huge impact at Provisions 139,” shares Crystal Selk, executive director at West Side Community Services. “We have always envisioned that our pantry would offer provisions beyond food and we’re grateful to be able to stock diapers thanks to this partnership. We know that our community has needs beyond putting food on the table and this is a great step toward working to fill some of those other physical needs.”
Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera says, “West Side Community Services offers an invaluable set of resources for our neighborhood, and the West Side Diaper Bank is a terrific extension that will progress the organization’s goal of providing aid for residents beyond ensuring their kitchens are full. Now more than ever, our neighbors need our help acquiring vital supplies for their newborns, and I thank WSCS and Every Bottom Covered for their collaboration to bring this needed diaper bank to fruition.”
“We know raising children can be expensive, but it’s not until you purchase your first pack of diapers that you realize just how expensive it is. West Side Community Services has done a great job recognizing this need in the community and including this item among other necessities at their food pantry, ensuring this most basic of needs is met for our youngest community members,” says Niagara District Councilmember David Rivera
“Our strength is in partnerships like this one,” says Selk. “As a community center, we want to offer as many resources as we can to our neighbors. Our amazing small team does a lot but can’t personally provide everything that everyone needs. That’s why we’re always seeking out new partners to bring in the services and resources that West Side Community Services can’t offer on our own. We already love working with Every Bottom Covered and know so many families will benefit from this collaboration.”
The diaper bank, housed inside Provisions 139 at 139 Vermont Street in Buffalo, will serve residents of zip codes 14201, 14209, 14213, and 14222—the same zip codes typically served by the pantry. Families will be able to pick up 25 diapers twice a month (once from the 1st through the 14th and once from the 15th through the end of the month). Customers visiting the diaper bank will be invited to pick up fresh produce, meats, fish, and shelf-stable staples that the pantry also stocks.
Families will need to register for the diaper bank by bringing valid photo ID, birth certificates for their children, and proof of residence in the eligible zip codes to their first visit. The diaper bank will be open during normal pantry hours on Wednesdays from 12-3 p.m. and on Thursdays from 5-7 p.m.
Lead image: From L – Crystal Selk, Raziya Hill, Assemblymember Jon Rivera