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When Lydia O'Regan started a diaper bank in Halifax, she thought she would help a few people a week.
She was wrong.
Interest in her grassroots project has increased dramatically. She now distributes diapers to about five families a day, each sending her desperate pleas for help as they struggle to make ends meet.
“Last week I gave birth to a woman whose baby was running around the house naked,” O'Regan said. “I've heard of women who used pillowcases and towels and just did whatever it took to get to payday.”
O'Regan started the diaper bank just three months ago. She thought it would be a great way to collect leftover diapers and open boxes that people weren't able to donate to charity.
In this short period of time, she has helped hundreds of people and distributed thousands of diapers.
“They are making decisions between basic necessities, toys for Christmas, food, renting gas and diapers for their children.”
O'Regan said she quickly realized many people asking for help didn't have transportation. So she set up 11 donation drop-off points at HRM, enlisting friends and family to help deliver or receive donations.
Among them is her cousin Rita-Claire LeBlanc, who is in the final weeks of her maternity leave. She said it was eye-opening to become a parent and see the cost of baby products.
LeBlanc said she was lucky she didn't need help, but she knows a lot of families who do.
“Every mom, every parent deserves to not have to stress about where the next bag of diapers is coming from,” LeBlanc said.
“Lydia does a lot with the diaper bank, so if we can help, we're all willing to help.”
Before the Halifax Diaper Bank opened, people could turn to family resource centers or food banks for help.
The Chebucto Family Center said diapers and baby food are the most in-demand items right now, with demand increasing significantly over the past few years.
He gives out about ten diapers at a time to balance donations with demand. In some cases this lasted about two days.
O'Regan will offer families an entire box if she has a supply. If families need a specific brand or size, she calls Facebook, using her growing network, to make sure the item is available.
“This is a passion project for me. This is something that is near and dear to my heart.”
Halima Marjani has many stories to tell about how donations make a difference.
Marjani is an immigrant support worker who helps vulnerable new arrivals to Canada. She said many are struggling to pay their bills as they start a new life.
“It's very stressful. They can cope with food. For clothing, they have many organizations that give out free clothing. But for diapers this is one of the [biggest] things they can't handle.”
Last week, Maryani picked up boxes of diapers for families in Syria and Ukraine. She said that one family has a teenage son who is disabled and needs a special diaper.
Marjani turned to O'Regan, who immediately found a solution.
“She gave me a big box to use for a couple of weeks and I gave it to this family. [The mother] cried when she saw the big box I brought her.”
O'Regan has no plans to expand beyond Facebook and has no plans to become a registered charity.
She has a full-time job and a two-year-old son, so she tries to keep the effort manageable.
She stores diapers in the master bedroom of her Halifax apartment. It is now filled floor to ceiling with donations that will soon be displayed outside the door.
“It fills my cup so it’s easy.”
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