HEALTHY STEPS DIAPER BANK

Diaper need is a heartbreaking problem for families who are unable to purchase an adequate supply of diapers for their little ones. The children are exposed to numerous health risks and the family unit suffers from the stress of not being able to meet a basic need.

We are committed to ending diaper need and period poverty in our community and will accomplish this by focusing on our three goals:

Raise Awareness
Healthy Steps has been a reliable resource in our community since we were founded in 2013, however diaper need and period poverty are still a silent crisis. We are working on increasing awareness of both diaper need/period poverty and of Healthy Steps Diaper Bank.

Sustain the Program
In 2022, we saw record distribution numbers and our diaper distribution saw a 55% increase over 2021. While growing has enabled us to help even more families and individuals, we are focusing on sustaining the program and the quality of the service we are providing rather than continually growing at a fast rate.

Increase Support
We rely on support from our generous donors and our amazing volunteers to run our program successfully. Therefore, we are focused on increasing and retaining both our donors and supporters.

Raising Awareness
-Increase awareness of diaper need
- Increase awareness of period poverty
- Increase awareness of Healthy Steps

Sustain the Program
-Maintain the number of children who are clean, dry, and healthy
- Maintain the number of menstruators who are clean, dry, and healthy
- Maintain between 32-40 Agency Partners

Increasing Support
-Increase monetary support of the program
-Increase volunteer support of the program

By working on the above we will accomplish:
-Increased number of children in South Central PA who are clean, dry, and healthy
-Decrease parental stress due to diaper need
-Increased opportunities for caregivers and children as a result of receiving diapers
-Parents who feel confident in their ability to diaper their children in a healthy manner
- Increased number of menstruators in South Central PA who are clean, dry, & healthy
- Fewer missed opportunities due to lack of necessary feminine hygiene products

Healthy Steps Diaper Bank, the only diaper bank in South Central PA, partners with approximately 37 family service agencies to distribute diapers to families in need. This collaboration enables families to receive multiple services at one time thereby reducing barriers such as transportation and duplication of registrations. Together we provide a hand up to encourage hope, dignity, and independence while working towards “whole solutions”.

We believe that all deserve to be clean, comfortable, and healthy so following the lead of other diaper banks across the country, Healthy Steps began including period packets, which are an essential personal hygiene product just like diapers, with our distribution in 2021. Like diaper need, period product need is a silent crisis that is not often discussed but nonetheless is a very real issue for many menstruators in our community. In 2021, Healthy Steps began offering period packets with their distribution.

Healthy Steps has a dedicated staff who is passionate about helping families and ending diaper need and period poverty. The staff is supported by a Board of Directors who are strong ambassadors for the mission and an amazing group of volunteers. Healthy Steps is also an active member of the National Diaper Bank Network and the Alliance for Period Supplies.

Healthy Steps Diaper Bank has been a reliable resource for the community since our founding in 2013 and we continue to offer diapers, period products, and hope to families and individuals in South Central PA. Healthy Steps saw a 55% increase in diaper distribution in 2022 due to the incredibly high need for assistance in South Central Pennsylvania.