The generosity of Fayetteville-Manlius elementary students and their families was able to ensure that babies in Central New York get a healthier start in life.
From Jan. 23 through Feb. 14, fourth-grade students at Enders Road Elementary School hosted a diaper drive, collecting new and opened packages of diapers in support of the Central New York Diaper Bank. CNY Diaper Bank is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to increasing access to diapers for families in need.
Fourth-grade students, along with their cross-grade level partners – Kindness Buddies – collected and donated a total of 25,092 diapers to CNY Diaper Bank, enough to keep 501 local babies clean, dry and healthy for a month.
“These donations surpassed the largest single diaper drive to date,” said Michela Hugo, founder of the CNY Diaper Bank. “It was an extraordinary effort and we are grateful to everyone who contributed.”
According to CNY Diaper Bank, 41% of children under the age of five in the City of Syracuse live in poverty and for the families of these children, buying diapers is an enormous struggle. An adequate supply of diapers for one child can cost a family $100 per month, which can impact a family’s ability to become financially self-sufficient.
This was Enders Road’s seventh year hosting the annual Diaper Drive.