Greater DC Diaper Bank’s mission is to support vulnerable families in our region by collaborating with partners to distribute essential baby and hygiene products and expand access to critical services.
Program Summary
In collaboration with our partner network, we execute the following programs:
Diaper Collection and Distribution: leverages our extensive network to secure diapers from in-kind donations from families and corporations and discounted wholesale purchases
The Baby Pantry: secures, stocks, and supplies formula, wipes, baby food, and often-overlooked hygiene and personal care products for babies and adults
The Nursery Project: promotes safe sleep, safe play, and safe travel by distributing bundles of baby gear through our existing network of community partners
The Monthly: distributes period products, another essential, and often overlooked,category of products not covered by public assistance and rarely provided by socialservice agencies in a systematic manner
Emergency Assistance: In 2019 we went outside our normal distribution model to directly support the families impacted by the government shutdown. In 2020, we launched 25 Diaper Need Hubs in partnership with food pantries to provide essentials to families during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 we provided 100,000 diapers, in addition to thousands of period products and ounces of formula, to Afghan refugees through a partnership with the Red Cross.
Impact Statement
GDCDB’s model, which we have been operating for over thirteen years, is based entirely on partnership and seeing the social safety network work in concert to support vulnerable families. Every product from GDCDB is distributed by our network of 85+ partners, all of which are local social services agencies and government agencies, to ensure they get to the families who need them the most. Our region-wide partner network now includes 31 organizations in the District of Columbia, 39 in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and 17 in Northern Virginia, which includes 25 emergency Diaper Need Hubs. Community partners have access to each of our programs—Diaper Distribution, Baby Pantry, and Nursery Project—and leverage our diapers and other products as a gateway resource to other social services they provide. Diaper need hubs have access to Diaper Distribution and the Baby and Essentials Pantry and account for about 75% of our diaper distribution. Our model is replicable and scalable, and builds upon the expertise of our partners, working together to find the solutions that best serve vulnerable families in need.
Sign up to host a product drive – you can collect diapers and other hygiene supplies (contact us at info@dcdiaperbank.org for a current list of most-needed items) with your friends, family, at your school, PTA, book club, place of worship, volunteer group, etc. More info at https://greaterdcdiaperbank.org/host-a-drive/.
You can still give items without committing to a drive! Have extra diapers, period products, or unopened hygiene products? You can drop them off at our warehouse or at any of our Ambassador locations. Learn more at https://greaterdcdiaperbank.org/give-items/.
Volunteer at our warehouse! Volunteers are able to learn about our work firsthand and bundle diapers over a two-hour period. Sign up for a shift at https://greaterdcdiaperbank.org/volunteer/.
Become an Ambassador! Ambassadors are our representatives throughout the community, opening up their homes and businesses as collection dropoff points. Learn more about becoming an Ambassador at https://greaterdcdiaperbank.org/ambassador-program/.
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How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?
Your dollars help us purchase hygiene supplies such as diapers and wipes, and support our programs including the Baby Pantry and Nursery Project. Financial support enables us to flexibly respond to the community’s most urgent hygiene needs and leverage our wholesale and corporate relationships for greater purchasing power and to ensure your dollars go as far as possible.
$25 diapers a baby for one month
$50 provides a breastfeeding kit and pump for a new mom
