Jun 24, 2023 | Business
Research recently released by the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) reports that 47% of U.S. families with young children struggle to afford diapers. At a local level, the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank reveals it has seen a 25% increase in diaper distribution – approximately 300,000 diapers each year – since 2020.
St. Louis Area Diaper Bank is a member of the NDBN and its sister organization Alliance for Period Supplies, a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to eliminating diaper need and “period poverty” in America. This year the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank – through a network of 70 community organizations, educational and health partners serving low-income families – will distribute 4.1 million diapers to more than 70,000 families in the St. Louis region. Last year the nonprofit distributed 3.3 million diapers in St. Louis.
The NDBN Diaper Check 2023: Diaper Insecurity among U.S. Children and Families is a nationally representative study commissioned by the NDBN. Major findings include:
· A significant increase of 14 percentage points in diaper need since the first study was conducted in 2010.
· Diaper need intersects with food insecurity, and 28% of respondents who reported diaper need said they skipped meals so they could afford more diapers.
· 70% of the respondents reported they were stressed or anxious about their responsibilities as a parent or caregiver. 53% said they felt judged because they could not afford diapers.
· One in four (25%) of parents and caregivers with diaper need reported having to miss work or school because they did not have enough diapers to drop their child off at childcare. They also reported missing an average of 5.1 workdays in the past 30 days, which represents a loss of $296 per month for a parent earning the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.
“This national study solidifies what we are feeling firsthand in our community,” said St. Louis Area Diaper Bank Executive Director Muriel Smith. “It’s time to realize that we are in a public health crisis, one that causes harm to our children and their families. We as a nation must do better to support those who need our help.”
Founded in 2014, the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank provides diaper and period supply access to the region’s low-income families, as well as raises community awareness about the causes and consequences of diaper need and period poverty. For more information, call (314) 624-0888.
St. Louis Area Diaper Bank
Muriel Smith
314-624-0888
www.stldiaperbank.org
Contact
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Philanthropy & Non-profit
Jan 31, 2023 | Business
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones to issue an Optimist Day Proclamation on Thursday, February 2, 2023. On this day, the community can be an Optimist themselves in action by joining us to honor the Optimist Club of St. Louis and its 106+ years of helping the community and youth of St. Louis, Missouri.
“Today is a day to celebrate Optimist Day and optimism! As part of the organization’s ongoing mission, the Optimist Club of St. Louis is delighted to receive this proclamation from Mayor Tishaura O. Jones and the City of St. Louis, in recognizing Optimist Day and the Club for its over 106+ years of contributions to the community. With optimism as a cornerstone, the Club members hope to inspire others to embrace the positive and pass that on to others.” – Jennifer Bagwell, President of Optimist Club of St. Louis, MO.
Each year, Optimist Clubs around the world volunteer their time and skills in programs to improve their communities and provide opportunities for the youth of all ages. They provide leadership, scholarship, wellness, safety, arts, and sports programs. Optimist members look to the future with hope, and on Optimist Day please celebrate the volunteers who share their enthusiasm, skills, and talent to make tomorrow a vibrant and peaceful one.
The Optimist Club of St. Louis started in 1916 and has supported local youth in the city of St. Louis for over 106 years through programs and service projects that the Club is involved in. Additionally, the Club awards annual grants to other organizations in the community, all in the name of Optimism.
May 16, 2022 | Business
PenPower Book Marketing Services and Fossil Creek Press are pleased to announce the release of lifetime St. Louis resident Carin Fahr Shulusky’s newest novel, Finding Light in a Lost Year, a poignant analysis of the trials faced by American families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“East coast versus west coast, rural versus city,” says Shulusky, “there is often discussion about what divides us. But the pandemic had the opposite effect. It was an experience shared by all. No matter the income or where in the country a person lived, everybody was impacted in similar ways.”
Finding Light in a Lost Year follows Roni Wright and the Wright family as their seemingly perfect life is upended by a worldwide pandemic. Set against the backdrop of actual events as they unfolded, the book examines how headlines translated to the struggles faced by everyday people and families.
However, unlike those headlines, by examining the effects on the Wright family, readers can empathize with the trials, as they had to face them themselves. The story acts like a mirror, shining light onto the dark times that everybody fought through and showing that what seemed like a singular problem was actually a traumatic experience felt by all. From going store to store in search of toilet paper, to juggling a home schooling schedule while also adjusting to a new and awkward work-from-home environment, the very things that isolated us for safety were the same things that many of us would turn to our community to commiserate about—a commiseration that couldn’t happen during the times of social distancing.
“I want people who read this to see that they were not alone in their own lost year,” concludes Shulusky. “As we all did our part and refrained from time spent with family and friends, it led to a sense of isolation. We lost the camaraderie and outlets to discuss the hardships of life, and thus felt that our experiences were unique. But, in fact, many of those struggles were faced by us all, and that’s what I want people to understand when they read my book.”
Finding Light in a Lost Year is available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your independent local bookstores via Indiebound.
Title: Finding Light in a Lost Year by Carin Fahr Shulusky
Category: Family & Relationships / Biographical Fiction
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-7362417-2-1 ($14.95)
E-Book ISBN: 978-1-7362417-3-8
177 pages / Publication Date: May 2022
Publisher: Fossil Creek Press
