United Way of the Adirondack Region launches Diaper Drive today | News

PLATTSBURGH — Inflation impacts many families’ bottom line and baby bottoms.

The United Way of the Adirondack Region has partnered with volunteers to collect diapers that will be distributed to ALICE families throughout the region during National Diaper Awareness Week today through Oct. 2.

“We were approached a few months ago by some volunteers in the community who were interested in doing some work to alleviate the cost of diapers for ALICE families,” John C. Bernardi, President and CEO of United Way of the Adirondack Region, said.

“In talking with these two wonderful volunteers, we decided collectively that we would begin to address the issue with a Regional Diaper Drive. It’s across three counties, and we have established a list of drop off locations.

“These will be distributed to families in need through our network of nonprofit agencies across the region with a priority given to ALICE families.”

INFLATION PAINS

Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) refers to households that earn above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) but cannot afford the basic cost of living in their county.

“As you can imagine, inflation is having a significant impact on hardworking ALICE families and they are struggling to make ends meet as they always do, however inflation has exacerbated this,” he said.

“We do have hope this will make a significant impact.”

FOR THE LONG TERM

Bernardi said this is more than just a one-time deal.

“We’re also exploring how we can assist with diapers and other baby supplies for the long term,” he said.

“Eventually, we would like to have some sort of a regional diaper bank where ALICE families can get some help with diapers and baby supplies. But at this point, we’re going to do this drive as a starting point.”

Based on 2018, Point-in-time Data:

Clinton County with a population of 80,695 had 25% ALICE Households; Essex County with a population of 37,751 had 28% ALICE Households; and Franklin County with a population of 50,692 had 25% ALICE Households. The state average is 31%.

“Our organization and our partner agencies are very committed to addressing the needs of hardworking families in our region,” Bernardi said.

“This event is a wonderful example of the empathy and generosity that people in our region feel toward one another.”