Diaper Donation Drive to Support Refugee Families Resettling in San Diego

Written by Anna Choi, BS, IBCLC

When you think of having a baby, and the items that are an absolute MUST have, diapers are pretty close to the top of the list, second only to breastmilk or formula. Whether you choose to cloth diaper or use disposable diapers, you need something to cover that sweet baby’s bum! For families on a limited or fixed income, the cost of diapers can be very overwhelming. Since part of our mission at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center is to give back to our community, while working to grow a strong network of support for families in San Diego, we are excited to announce the details for our next diaper drive!

This year’s diaper drive will support refugee families who have resettled in San Diego, with diapers going to three organizations who make a hugely positive impact on the lives of refugee families: The International Rescue Committee of San Diego, The Syrian Community Network of San Diego, and Catholic Charities of San Diego. Having fled war, persecution, and poverty, these families need our support more than ever. During our last diaper drive, we collected more than 3,000 diapers for San Diego refugee families. This year, our goal is to collect 5,000 diapers! Our diaper drive will begin on Wednesday, April 3rd and end on Wednesday, May 1st.

To tell you a little more about the refugee families that will receive these diapers, here are a few words from Chris Williams, a Program Manager for Refugee Services in San Diego:

“We are currently working with a number of Haitian families that have recently arrived in San Diego and are in a very difficult situation. Haiti is often described as the poorest country in the western world, with more than half of the entire population living below the poverty line and a quarter living in extreme poverty - surviving on less than $1.25 per day. This, on top of devastating natural disasters over the past decade, has caused many Haitians to flee their homes in search of a better life.

The relatively few families that make it to San Diego typically only get here after years spent living in similarly bad conditions in South and/or Central America and have often been victimized by human traffickers and other malicious actors. They are granted admission to the U.S. on humanitarian grounds, and in the past they have been offered a limited amount of government support along with work authorization to help them get on their feet here. In recent months, the government stopped providing this support and stopped providing new families with the documents they need to work - which is unfortunate, because all of them want to work.

This leaves the families in a precarious situation, and many of them are staying in church shelters. They don't have access to public benefits like food stamps and Medi-Cal, though many of the women are pregnant or have recently given birth. We are working to support these families - and these babies - in a number of ways, though a great deal of help is still needed. Diapers aren't cheap and are always in short supply, though always very much needed.”

Having met many refugee families and spoken with resettlement workers, I can’t tell you enough how much these donations are appreciated and needed. All donations can be dropped off at our weekly Breastfeeding Support Group, held at our office in La Mesa {8325 University Ave La Mesa 91942}, every Wednesday from 11:30am-1pm. If you would like to donate diapers, but are unable to drop off during that time, please contact Anna Choi to schedule a drop off. We hope you will help us reach our goal and stand with us as we support the refugee women and mothers in our local community.

Donation Drive to Support the International Rescue Committee of San Diego

Anna Choi, BS, IBCLC

Here at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center, we love women; we love moms; we love our community. And perhaps most of all, we love helping the women and mothers in our community. When we heard about the recent travel ban put forth by President Trump’s Executive Order, we knew it was time to reach out to our friends at the International Rescue Committee of San Diego to see what we could do to help. In our discussions with IRC San Diego staff, we learned about the devastating effects the Executive Order was having [and would continue to have] on the ability of the IRC to provide support and basic necessities for refugee families who have resettled in San Diego.  As we read about the decision of the U.S. Appeals Court to uphold the suspension of the Trump travel ban, we celebrated with our friends at the IRC. 

David Miliband, President and CEO of the IRC, tells us:

“We are grateful that we can get back to work resettling refugees who have fled the terrors of war and violence, while also caring for those who remain trapped in conflict zones. As this ruling will almost certainly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, in the meantime, the IRC remains committed to serving our refugee clients here in the U.S. and in more than 40 countries around the world.”

What does this decision mean for the IRC? It means that refugee resettlement cases that were put on hold due to the travel ban can now continue to move forward. Families who have spent years in refugee camps, fleeing war and oppression, can once again look forward to a new life in a safe community. For the IRC San Diego Resettlement Team specifically, it means the arrival of 78 new refugees in the coming days, weeks, and months. Those arriving in San Diego include wives reuniting with husbands, children with parents, brothers with sisters, and friends with friends. It also means an increased need for donations and support from the community. That’s where we, at the San Diego Breastfeeding Center, and you, come in!

Some of the more common needs of the IRC San Diego [aside from monetary donations, which you can contribute here: https://help.rescue.org/donate/us-san-diego-ca ] are diapers and women’s hygiene kits. Those arriving in San Diego include three 2-year olds, two 1-year olds, and several pregnant women. As mothers ourselves, we know firsthand how expensive diapers are, and what an impact the expense can make for those on a fixed income. The first few days in San Diego are very transitionary for newly arriving refugees, and as permanent housing and living expenses are arranged, it can be very helpful for IRC staff to have hygiene kits on hand to distribute, helping newly arrived refugees get through their first few days in a new place. 

So, we’ve challenged ourselves to collect 500 diapers and 50 women’s hygiene kits in 50 days. Donated diapers can be any brand and any size, in unopened packages. Hygiene kits should include the following items: 

• 10+ sanitary pads
• wet nap towelettes
• kleenex
• deodorant
• soap
• lotion
• shampoo/conditioner
• toothbrush/toothpaste
• $10 Walmart Gift Card

Today is day 1. Here is a picture of the hygiene kit I created to give you an idea of what the finished product looks like. Kits can include travel sized portions of the above items, or full sized containers, packaged into a gallon ziploc bag or a grocery bag.

Having visited the IRC San Diego offices and spoken with staff members, I can’t tell you enough how much these donations are appreciated and needed. All donations can be dropped off at our weekly Breastfeeding Support Group, held at our office in Hillcrest {3355 4th Ave SD 92103} every Wednesday from 11:30am-1pm. We will also have a Saturday donation collection on Saturday, March 25th from 10am-12pm, also at our Hillcrest office {3355 4th Ave SD 92103}. The last day to drop off donated items is April 19, 2017.  We hope you will help us reach our goal and stand with us as we support the refugee women and mothers in our local community.