Monmouth ACTS helps collect diaper donations for expectant, new moms
It's been a tough year due to the pandemic for everyone for a number of different reasons, including expecting and new moms who are trying to keep up with payments at home and afford the necessities for their babies like diapers and wipes.
Monmouth County Commissioner Sue Kiley has been working to help address this issue and saw the recent Diaper Drive to help support moms and children during a great time of need.
She oversees the Monmouth ACTS initiative, which helps county residents with a variety of needs.
They've released a statement announcing the results of the diaper drive and why it was so needed.
“It was such a specific need, it really struck me,” Kiley said in a statement. “The need was compounded not just by the lack of supplies, but because diapers and wipes can be so expensive, especially for a young mother who is struggling to pay the bills.”
Her came up with an idea where the Early Childhood Success Hub could partner with the RAINE (Reaching All in Need Everyday) Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization established to support those in need in the Bayshore area, which is also run by Kiley’s family.
“It was a gap that could be fixed so simply. I thought, ‘Why can’t we do a diaper drive?’ The RAINE Foundation has a network of 500 volunteers. If I put it to them, they’ll all muster and support this," Kiley said.
She explained that "RAINE’s leadership and volunteers eagerly accepted the challenge, and began organizing a County-wide drive for diapers, wipes and other needed supplies."
Meanwhile, Hazlet Police volunteered to become a 24/7 drop-off site for donations.
Grace United Methodist Church in Union Beach, which Kiley said was already working with RAINE to collect pajamas for an annual drive hopped on board the initiative and offered to begin collecting and donating materials as well.
The RAINE Foundation has been able to deliver supplies to four Early Childhood Success Hub organizations that serve families across Monmouth County.
- Acelero Learning Freehold Center distributed around 950 diapers and 25 packs of wipes to 25 families, including two expectant mothers.
- Oceans Family Success Center in Asbury Park distributed around 1,250 diapers (including pull-ups) and 29 packs of wipes to 11 families.
- VNA Health Group served at least 20 families across its network with around 840 diapers and 10 packs of wipes.
- Bayshore Family Success Center in Middletown distributed 12 cases of diapers, 3 cases of wipes and a box of baby formula at its Baby Pantry.
“We were so happy to see the RAINE Foundation and Grace United Methodist Church step up so quickly to meet this critical need for our families in Monmouth County,” Colleen Nelson, RN, MSN, Vice President Children & Family Health Institute, VNACJ and Co-Chair, Monmouth ACTS Early Childhood Success Hub, said in a statement. “The partner organizations receiving the diapers represented different geographic areas within the County to ensure delivery across a wide span of families. It is important during this pandemic to think of others and what you can do to help your neighbors, families and friends. A huge thank you to Commissioner Kiley, our volunteers and staff of the Early Childhood Success Hub organizations for carrying out this successful Diaper Drive.”
“Monmouth ACTS continues to be the great connector for our County’s human services organizations,” Monmouth County Commissioner Director Tom Arnone said in a statement. “This is another fantastic example of resources and organizations in the County that are now getting to know each other and communicate at Hub meetings, resulting in better services for Monmouth County residents.”
You can learn more about the RAINE Foundation at www.rainefoundation.com and Monmouth ACTS at www.MonmouthACTS.org.
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