'Diaper Deputies' At Centennial Retirement Community Collect 10,000 Diapers For Families Struggling During Pandemic
CENTENNIAL, Colo. (CBS4) -- After reading a report about how the need for diapers has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, residents of a retirement community in Centennial decided to start a donation drive -- and ended up collecting more than 10,000 diapers for families in need.
"COVID has put stress not only on food banks but diaper banks as well," Chuck Montera with the Holly Creek Retirement Community stated.
"Parents in Colorado are filling plastic grocery bags with toilet paper and taping them to their babies as makeshift diapers because they are not able to afford essentials," Montera stated. "According to Colorado diaper banks, mothers and fathers also are washing soiled diapers for reuse or waiting longer to change their babies."
Resident Pat Van Brammer wanted to help. For her 80th birthday, she asked for baby diapers and received 170. Then Pat put out a call to other residents to collect more donations. More than a dozen responded to the call to become "diaper deputies."
The diaper collection kicked off on Feb. 8 and the residents collected 10,000 diapers in less than two weeks!
Over the weekend, a final diaper count will be made and then they'll be loaded up and delivered to Rocky Mountain Diaper Depot.
