St. Louis Area Diaper Bank wants to collect 100,000 diapers to mark its first year

As the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank approaches one year in operation this weekend, the organization is running a week-long drive to collect 100,000 diapers.

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, one out of three families in the United States cannot afford diapers. The cost of diapers can total about $1,000 a year per child and for some low-income families, buying them can take up to 15 percent of the parents' take-home pay.

Locally, the greatest need for diapers exists in the city of St. Louis and north St. Louis County. Because the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, cannot be used to buy diapers, food pantries faced pressure from families that needed them.

"There's not an easy way for families who don't have a lot of resources to get diapers and the diaper bank can help fill that need and step in," said Kimberly Singer, a board member at the diaper bank.

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