Texas Diaper Bank

To address the diaper gap and its impact on individuals in crisis.

Established in 1997 by 10 local United Methodist Churches in San Antonio, TXDB works to meet the basic health needs of vulnerable populations in our city. The staff of 15 relies on its 3,900 volunteers to help serve 83,000 individuals and distribute over 3 million diapers annually.

TXDB programs focus on specific issues affecting low-income families and individuals and their struggle for basic healthcare necessities. Clients are from households falling 150% or below the Federal Poverty Line. In addition to alleviating the diaper gap, incontinence gap, and period poverty through access to healthcare basics, TXDB offers clients specially-designed parenting and self-care classes. Additionally, TXDB addresses poverty itself through bank-sponsored financial literacy classes.

TXDB’s 2020 programs and goals:

1. Diaper Assistance: Provides immediate relief to families in crisis with diapers, wipes, and other healthcare products.
2020 Goals: Serve 58,800 children, distribute 1.9 million diapers, and expand partner agency network.

2. My Healthy Child: (exclusive partnership with Methodist Healthcare Ministries) Provides child health education classes in 10 counties.
2020 Goals: 1200 registered individuals completing the curriculum, distribute 145,000 diapers.

3. Calm Parent: Offers parenting skills classes to reduce stress and lessen propensity towards child abuse or neglect.
2020 Goals: 500 individuals completing classes, distribute 160,000 diapers.

4. Disaster Relief: Dispatches diapers, wipes, hygiene kits, etc. to disaster areas in Texas. During the partial government shutdown, distributed 6-month supplies of diapers and hygiene products to furloughed workers. Diapers and healthcare items are still distributed to areas affected by Hurricane Harvey.
2020 Goals: Establish disaster partner agencies and volunteer groups for disaster response.

5. Incontinence Assistance: Provides incontinence supplies and other healthcare products to children with disabilities, adults, and seniors.
2020 Goals: Serve 3,000 individuals in Bexar County, distribute 41,500 incontinence products, and increase awareness through social media and PR campaigns.

6. Healthy Women Period: Distributes period supplies in 10 counties.
2020 Goals: Serve 12,000 individuals, distribute 216,000 products.

Although organizations provide diapers, they do so inconsistently because they respond to separate missions. For example, they may supply arbitrary diaper sizes contingent on donations, yet they do not maintain a continuum of service to agencies and walk-in clients.
And even though there are organizations offering parenting topics, TXDB sets itself apart from any other program in Bexar County in two ways. First, no other program approaches parenting education from the unique perspective of a parent's mental health standpoint. TXDB believes that by reducing parental stress, both parent and child benefit. Second, no other program offers as many bundled resources and incentives to clients, resulting in a longstanding change in self-sufficiency.
Through MOUs, TXDB formally partners with organizations focusing on solving the diaper gap. TXDB partners with niche, yet influential agencies that understand TXDB’s mission, like the National Diaper Bank Network.

In order to serve more children and ensure that we are reducing barriers to access, the organization continually seeks opportunities to implement program changes to meet clients' needs and requests. This includes expanding amount of product distributed per family and adding additional days and time for direct services.
TXDB will continue to serve low-income families across our city, county, and surrounding counties.