Programs and results
What we aim to solve
One out of three families struggle to buy diapers. Although Pennsylvania offers public assistance programs, such as Women Infants and Children (WIC) and food stamps, diapers cannot be obtained through either of these programs. Without a sufficient supply of diapers, parents are forced to keep their babies in diapers longer than is healthy for a child or even reuse diapers while suffering from the quiet shame of not being able to meet their child’s basic needs. Diaper need is a heartbreaking problem for families who are unable to purchase an adequate supply of diapers for their children. Some parents are forced to forgo employment or educational opportunities due to diaper need as most child care centers require at least a days supply of disposable diapers at drop-off. These missed opportunities are also detrimental to the children who miss participating in early childhood education programs.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Healthy Steps Diaper Bank
We are on a mission to empower families and individuals throughout South Central PA to thrive by providing a reliable and adequate source of diapers and feminine hygiene products.
1 in 3 families struggle to buy diapers and 2 in 5 people struggle to purchase period products. These numbers are heart breaking! Without a sufficient supply of diapers, parents are forced to keep their babies in diapers longer than is healthy for a child or even to reuse diapers. Without a sufficient supply of feminine hygiene products, menstruators are not able to participate fully in daily life. This needs to change!
Neither SNAP or WIC can be used to purchase diapers, pads, or tampons leaving many people without a way to get the essential products they need for themselves or their loved ones. Healthy Steps has been working tirelessly to end diaper need in South Central PA since 2013 and we expanded in 2021 to include fighting period poverty. We believe everyone deserves to be clean, dry, & healthy.
Where we work
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of products distributed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of diapers distributed
Number of children served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Number of unique children who received diapers
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
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 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 is still a silent crisis. We are working on increasing awareness of both diaper need and of Healthy Steps Diaper Bank.
Grow the program
We are continually growing the program both in distribution numbers and collaboration numbers. Growing will enable us to help even more families and children.
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.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Raising Awareness
-Increase awareness of diaper need and Healthy Steps
Growing the Program
-Increase the number of children who are clean, dry, and healthy
-Increase collaboration to end diaper need
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 who are clean, dry, and healthy
-Increased number of diapers distributed
-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
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Healthy Steps Diaper Bank, the only diaper bank in Central PA, partners with approximately 30 family service agencies throughout Central PA 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”.
Healthy Steps has a dedicated staff who is passionate about helping families and ending need. 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.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Healthy Steps Diaper Bank has been a reliable resource for the community since our founding in 2013 and we continue to offer diapers and hope to families. Since we were founded, we have distributed over 1.7 million diapers in Central PA!
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Paper surveys,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We act on the feedback we receive,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
HEALTHY STEPS DIAPER BANK
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Susan Speese
Healthy Steps Diaper Bank
Term: 2019 - 2022
Sandra Gates
Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist - Geisinger Holy Spirit Hospital; Mental Health Liaison – Keystone Human Services
Carla Miller
5th Grade Teacher – Central Dauphin School District
William Thomas
Co-Chair – Mid Atlantic Strategic Solutions
Matt Wendling
Legislative Benefits Specialist – BiPartisan Management Committee
Connie Wilson
Branch Manager III – Members 1st Federal Credit Union
Nikki Shanahan
Account Executive - Alliance Sales & Marketing Inc.
Jennifer Campbell
Supervisor PA, UPMC Pinnacle
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 11/18/2021GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.