2023 Operation Christmas Bottoms Diaper Drive Kicks-Off on November 10

MONTGOMERY, AL — One in three families in communities like Montgomery across the country will struggle to provide enough diapers to keep their baby clean, dry and healthy, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A family is considered to be experiencing diaper need when they don’t have enough diapers to adequately change their baby at healthy intervals.

To address this need, Gift of Life Foundation (GOL) will hold its Operation Christmas Bottoms Diaper and Baby Wipes Drive. The annual event supports GOL families who need diaper assistance, and this year, GOL is teaming up with Cumulus Broadcasting to launch the drive with a live radio remote on Friday, November 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Gift of Life office located at 1348 Carmichael Way.

 According to the National Diaper Bank Network, the average baby can use up to 12 diapers a day, which can cost a family up to $150 a month or roughly $1,800 a year. That can be tough for a family whose income meets the federal poverty guidelines. 

“Low-income, working families who receive federal assistance programs like SNAP or WIC can use that support to help with the rising cost of food that we’re all experiencing. But those safety net programs are not set up to provide assistance with diapers,” said Mona Davis, GOL Marketing & Community Outreach Director.

 “Babies who don’t have enough diapers face more health risks. Because moms or dads might try to stretch their diaper supply by leaving a baby in a diaper a little longer than they normally would, it increases baby’s risk of having diaper rashes and urinary tract infections,” she said.

The diapers and baby wipes collected during Operation Christmas Bottoms help Gift of Life families in nine Alabama counties who may experience a temporary diaper need at some point during the year. It decreases the stress parents might feel from having to miss work and keep their baby out of daycare due to a lack of diapers or having to decide to forgo household bills or necessities because they need money to buy diapers.

 Those who would like to donate at the kick-off event can come to the GOL office and drop off new packs of diapers and baby wipes. Operation Christmas Bottoms will run through December 18 and diapers and wipes will be accepted at the office Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

 For more information, call (334) 399-0158 or visit https://golfound.org/operation-christmas-bottoms