Throughout the month of February, blue boxes will be present in each town hall within the 94th Assembly District to help collect baby wipe and diaper donations for community members in need. In 2024, the National Diaper Bank Network found that 27% of families facing diaper insecurity skipped meals to buy diapers. To combat the cost and help local families, Assemblyman Matt Slater has kicked off his third annual Diaper Drive. "Half of Americans are struggling to pay for diapers right now who need them, and so that also means our community as well," said Assemblyman Slater. There are drop off locations in every town hall within the 94th assembly district. This includes:

Community members can donate into the boxes during normal business hours for each respective location. The organization, Putnam Community Action Partnership, known as CAP, will then distribute the diapers and wipes to families in need. He says the drive helped bring in around 1000 diapers to donate last year. Deborah Blatt, with The Sharing Shelf's Diaper Bank, sees the need firsthand. Last year, Blatt says the organization distributed around 350,000 diapers that reached over 6,300 infants and toddlers. "The stress on the families that can't afford diapers, the health consequences for infants whose diapers are not changed frequently enough, this all where we in the community can make a difference for these families," said Blatt. You can visit the Sharing Shelf's website at https://sharingshelf.org/ to learn more about how you can get involved.