Arizona Diaper Bank

The Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona's goal is to provide diapers to children and adults through collaborative community partnerships that increases the health, wellness, security, and independence of the diverse populations served until diaper need is no longer a social issue in Southern Arizona. Our vision is a community where every diaper need is met.

Our distribution model utilizes 48 partner agencies to distribute diapers and incontinence supplies to the public. This model is effective in that it enables us to be active in the neighborhoods where the need is the greatest, and allows us to leverage our diapers with the additional services that the agency provides. We recognize that a lack of sufficient diapers is only one of many barriers to moving out of poverty, and this is the reason that we build collaborative partnerships with agencies that provide additional services. These additional services can include food boxes, rent assistance, utility assistance, bus passes, medical screenings, dental cleanings, mental health screenings, parental coaching, job counseling, housing services, and health education to assist their clients in moving toward self sufficiency.

This program has been active for over 24 years. Our staff of 3.5 FTE and 12-member Board of Directors consistently secures nearly 1 million diapers for distribution to the community each year. The DBSA is utilizing a Service Enterprise Initiative model to further engage our volunteers. Research shows that nonprofits that operate as Service Enterprises are equally as effective as their peers but at almost half the median budget, and are significantly more adaptable, sustainable and capable of going to scale.

To further support our programs, we have engaged an AmeriCorps VISTA Service Member, who will be focused on building our capacity through engaging community leaders, civic groups, school districts, and local business owners to host and promote local diaper drives. The AmeriCorps VIsta will further cultivate community relationships to increase the amount of local diaper drives and community engagement.

We are the nations first diaper bank, serving nearly 300,000 southern Arizona's children and adults with over 12 million diapers since 1994.