Hawaii Diaper Bank, founded by Jessica Histo in 2016, has made over 850,000 donations since its inception, of which over 250,000 were diapers, which were given to 15 partner organizations, serving an average of 320 children per month.
"There is no federal assistance for diapers and wipes. WIC (Women, Infants and Children) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) are for nutritional supplementation. And while TANF ( Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) may be used for other essentials, the small amount received is usually spent on rent and utilities," Histo told Big Island Times.
Histo began the organization when she was looking to donate some diapers her family no longer needed and discovered that Hawaii had no organized diaper bank. Seeing a need that was not being filled, she researched the National Diaper Bank Network and held a diaper drive of her own, which turned out to be very successful. After holding a second diaper drive, and now with sponsor Hawaii Children’s Action Network, she was able to incorporate and establish Hawaii's first official diaper bank.
"We also work directly with so many of these other organizations, so when you support us, you are helping multiple community partners. Why we use this community partner model is to link our clients with resources they may not be aware of. We are also still in the growing stages of our organization and are actively working towards becoming self-sustainable, so that we can bring on new partners and serve more families in our efforts to continue our work to #CoverEveryKeiki," Histo said.
The mission of Hawaii Diaper Bank is to serve and support the children of Hawaii by providing diapers, wipes and other basic essentials to organizations that assist low-income families with young children. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, diapering a child could cost an average of $1,000 per year -- and this amount is only for one child. For a low-income family, that could 14% of their annual income.
According to their website, the Hawaii Diaper Bank "believes no child should suffer from diaper need. All children deserve access to clean, dry diapers. Access to diapers improves the physical, mental and economic well-being of babies, families and communities."
Hawaii Diaper Bank is a member of Baby2Baby's National Network and a member of the National Diaper Network.