The nation’s first diaper bank started right here in Tucson

Tucson is the birthplace of the Lisa Frank warehouse and the term “stravenue,” but our charming desert city is also where the very first diaper bank in the country got its start.

The idea began in 1994 when local consulting firm Resolve, Inc. hosted a holiday diaper drive, gathering diapers to donate to Tucson families in need. The drive continued for several years after that, eventually collecting 300,000 diapers by 1999.

Today, that same diaper initiative — now known as the nonprofit Diaper Bank of Arizona — distributes 3.5 million hygiene products each year. That includes 1.5 million diapers in Tucson and 1 million in Phoenix, helping about 10,000 children annually. Beyond the diapers, the bank also provides incontinence products and period supplies.

“There were no diaper programs at all during that time so (the firm) saw the need and said, ‘Let’s do something to help,’” says program and volunteer manager Catherine Demotica.

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 40% of U.S. families with young kids experience diaper insecurity.

“It can be so hard to ask for help,” Catherine says. “We want to create a really nice atmosphere here so people feel comfortable coming back. We’re just here to help — that’s really what it is.”

Tucson led the way — now there are more than 240 diaper banks across the nation.

Diapers and beyond

The warehouse always looks different. Sometimes it’s filled with boxes of Huggies stacked far taller than any person can reach. Other times, the pallets, empty watermelon boxes and makeshift plywood boxes are left empty, patiently awaiting future donations.

However it looks, warehouse and volunteer coordinator Harold Gaines calls it diaper city. (Fun fact: the warehouse used to be home to a giant paper mache baby, originally made for a parade float, that was moved playfully around the space.)

While community members can pick up supplies from the Tucson warehouse, 1050 S. Plumer Ave., on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the bank also works with 55 partner agencies — from shelters to faith-based organizations to other nonprofits — to circulate supplies further into the community. 

“They’re why we’re able to get a lot more out there with distribution than if it was just us,” Catherine says.

In the first two weeks of each month, the bank distributes to those agencies. Other days are for inventory and volunteer groups who bundle diapers into packs of 10, organize orders and help clean.

“Volunteering is actually what got me started here. I volunteered when I was at the University of Arizona,” Catherine says. “I thought it was so fun and therapeutic to bundle the diapers. I wanted to find any way I could to come back.”

About 70% of the inventory at the diaper bank is donated in some form. Sometimes that’s from individual community members whose children no longer need diapers — there’s a donation box available 24/7 outside of the bank.

Sometimes the donations come from corporations like Huggies, which visits by truckload to donate 200,000 diapers each year.

And sometimes those donations come from drives organized by community groups like the Vail School District which typically collects 200,000 diapers each year, incentivizing students with pizza parties and movie nights for contributing.

“Our most needed sizes are larger sizes. Size 4 to 5T get requested the most, but get donated the least. We need larger sizes all the time,” says Catherine, who also adds that monetary donations go further because of discounts the bank has with diaper vendors.

The bank also has a small supply of reusable cloth diapers, which are a more environmentally-friendly option.

“And if you have a cloth diaper on hand, you’ll never be without one,” Catherine says.

To receive supplies from the Arizona Diaper Bank, you’ll need a photo ID, proof of guardianship to the child who needs diapers and documentation of public assistance such as SNAP, WIC or AHCCCS. Newborns and Size 1 can get 100 diapers per child each month, while other sizes fall between 30 and 40 monthly.

Despite the work by everyone involved with the bank, they know they can’t completely fill the need for everyone in Tucson. A study last year by the National Diaper Bank Network found that our local bank would need to distribute 14 million diapers each year to help every Pima County family who has young children and low-to-moderate incomes.

“This work helps babies stay healthy,” Catherine says. “I’ve heard families say, ‘I feel like such a bad parent because I can’t afford diapers.’ But no, that’s not the case, and we’re here to help. And by giving families free diapers, they’re hopefully able to save a little bit of money for other expenses. I’ve heard people say they have more money for food, for housing, for school supplies, for gifts for the holidays.”

Catherine also mentions the diaper need cycle, which starts when a parent doesn’t have diapers at home and therefore can’t enroll their child into daycare, leading them to stay home to watch their child, missing the opportunity to work. The absent wages lead to less affordability for diapers — and the cycle continues. According to the National Diaper Bank Network, 25% of parents miss work or school because they can’t afford diapers.

Beyond the diapers, the Arizona Diaper Bank offers potty training kits, filled diaper bags for baby showers, products for periods and supplies for adult incontinence. 

According to the National Association for Continence, it’s estimated that nearly 100 million people in the United States live with urinary incontinence or other bladder conditions. And according to a 2021 study by U by Kotex, 38% of low-income women said they’ve missed work, school or other events because they did not have access to period supplies.

“We ask anyone who comes in for diapers if they also have someone in the house who needs period supplies,” Catherine says.

A story that has stuck with Catherine over the years is one she heard about a senior community in Patagonia. Because the residents lacked access to incontinence supplies — which aren’t always covered by insurance — they were homebound, using shirts and towels in place of diapers. 

“That’s just unacceptable. No one should have to do that,” Catherine says. “When I first started working at the Diaper Bank five years ago, (adult incontinence products) were 100% donor-driven. But now because partner agencies are asking for more and our foot traffic has increased, we do have to purchase some. But it’s actually rare for diaper banks to have incontinence supplies. We’re one of the few.”

“We do this so people don’t have to choose between food and rent and utilities,” says CEO Yevette Sykes. “To see the relief on people’s faces of ‘that’s one less thing I have to think about,’ to be able to give that relief … the one thing I can say about the Pima County community is they are giving. They are so giving of so much heart. The people who founded this organization put their stamp — but we won’t let it down.”

🍼 The Arizona Diaper Bank is hosting its first-ever statewide diaper drive now through Sept. 20. Click here to donate. Find the bank at 1050 S. Plumer Ave. For more information, click here. 💕