Abbreviation NDBN Type Non-profit | Formation 2011 (2011) Region served United States | |
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Headquarters 155 East Street
New Haven, Connecticut Membership Over 320 diaper banks and pantries | ||
The National Diaper Bank Network is a United States-based non-profit organization that is dedicated to ensuring that every child in the U.S. has an adequate supply of diapers to remain clean, dry and healthy. NDBN is a nationwide network of independently operating diaper banks and pantries that collect and distribute over 30 million diapers for children experiencing diaper need.
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History
In 2010, the founders of The Diaper Bank (North Haven, Connecticut), Westside Baby (Seattle), the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona (Tucson, Arizona), and the St. Paul Diaper Bank Partnership (McHenry, Illinois), along with Huggies formed the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) to create national dialog on the collective impact of diaper banks in addressing a most basic need of babies, access to clean diapers.
Beginnings of the Diaper Bank Movement
The diaper bank movement began in 1994 when Resolve, Inc., a small consulting firm in Tucson, held a diaper drive during the holiday season to assist a local crisis nursery. Encouraged by the enthusiastic response, and the subsequent demand for emergency diaper assistance, the firm gained an understanding of how the community could come together and help solve a problem. The executives at Resolve made the December Diaper Drive an annual tradition, and within five years they were collecting 300,000 diapers during drive and distributed the diapers to families at 30 local social service agencies. In 2000, the diaper drive effort was spun off into an independent nonprofit organization, the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona, the nation’s first diaper bank.
In 2004, Joanne Samuel Goldblum, a social worker in New Haven, Conn., adopted the Arizona model to found The Diaper Bank in response to the desperate need for diapers that she witnessed in her work with impoverished families. Initially creating and operating the fledgling organization from her home, Joanne went on to establish the nation’s largest diaper bank. Today, The Diaper Bank distributes more than 2.5 million clean diapers annually to struggling families throughout central and southern Connecticut.
The success of these two diaper banks inspired similar efforts throughout the country. With growing awareness of diaper need, small but passionate groups of people responded. Some groups held diaper drives, others went on to found independent diaper banks in their communities, often through their churches, and/or as an extension of existing poverty-related relief agencies.
Network Programs
The organization raises awareness of diaper need and its pervasiveness in America through education of and outreach to the general public and national leaders. NDBN staff works with legislators, testifies at hearings on the issue of diaper need, conducts research, and advocates for changes in policy and law that support the network’s mission and the partner agencies and families served.
Technical assistance and research support the development and expansion of community-based diaper banks throughout the country, so that each can better meet the basic needs of babies and families. NDBN coordinates the distribution of donated diapers and funding to its national network of community-based diaper banks, pantries, and distribution programs.