Success Stories

  • The 2011 Diaper Drive was a HUGE success we were able to collect more than 90,000 diapers.  These diapers were distributed to 14 different food pantries and organizations who work with families in critical need.

  • Before the diaper drive started three years ago one food pantry told us a story about, a family who went into an ACCESS food pantry looking for diapers for their baby, but there was no diapers on the shelf.  They asked the food pantry if they could have the adult diapers and they would use duct tape to make the diaper fit their child.  Now the food pantry can give them diapers that will fit their baby.
  • One food pantry director shared a story about a family with 5 adopted children, 3 of whom have special needs.  The mother and father of the children had recently both lost their jobs and the diapers provided by the food pantry enabled the family to focus their limited finances on other needs for their children.
  • “Receiving diapers from the Great Start Diaper Drive will help us to provide diapers for people who are struggling with the essentials for their families, and children on a daily basis!  It will assist us in helping them to diaper their children and not to have to resort to other methods that may be unsanitary, or dangerous to their children!”  from The Salvation Army Booth Family Services
  • Last week, a liaison from the Great Start Parent Coalition called to inform Alpha Women’s Center that the Walgreens on the corner of 60th and Kalamazoo had diapers to pick up from the Diaper Drive. We’re always excited to get phone calls like this. I shot over to pick them up and was amazed at the size of the donation-1400 diapers.  Apparently they are having an employee competition for diaper donations and their staff really takes it to heart. I met Jason Mickel who is their Store Manager. I asked if he would consider providing Alpha with a discount for diapers and other products that we purchase in the future. He said that since the store currently had a promotion on diapers he would check with his corporate contact to see if we could immediately benefit with a direct purchase of a larger quantity of diapers. This was possible due to the pending funds from Ronald McDonald House Charities of Outside Michigan.  We went ahead and ordered and paid for them . The diapers will arrive next week – all at once – all approximately 43,556 diapers – 2/3rds of what we need for this year.  Of course all of this would not have happened without collaboration between the Great Start Parent Coalition, WalGreens and Ronald McDonald House Charities.   Thank you all so much.                                                               Carolyn Koole, Executive Director of Alpha Women’s Center of Grand Rapids