As a parent, you wish for your child to be happy and healthy. You want to provide them with a better life than you had. You might have dreams of your child becoming a star athlete or a leading surgeon, but most importantly, you dream that they have the necessities for a happy, healthy life. All parents share in that dream, so it might shock you to know that 1 in 2 families in Indiana struggle to afford diapers—a necessity for children at the earliest stages of their life to be happy and healthy.

Indiana Diaper Bank has set out to make the dream of happy and healthy children a reality by providing a reliable and adequate supply of diapering essentials to Indiana families.

It all started with a mother’s love and concern for her own children. Rachael Suskovich, founder of Indiana Diaper Bank, had two young children in diapers when she became aware of the challenges faced by families in poverty. Stories of parents struggling to afford enough diapers or resorting to reusing disposable ones touched her heart deeply. She discovered that the lack of access to clean diapers not only affects a child’s health and access to early learning but also has implications for maternal wellbeing. Perhaps most shocking was the realization that public assistance programs like Medicare, WIC, and SNAP (food stamps) don’t cover diapers, leaving families in an even more difficult situation.

In October 2017, driven by her desire to make a difference, Rachael founded Indiana Diaper Bank with a clear vision: to address diaper need in Indiana and raise awareness about the diaper gap at a state level. She understood that for families living paycheck to paycheck, the cost of diapering could be an overwhelming financial burden. Rachael knew that she had to take action.

The need for diapers is great. As mentioned above, no government programs help cover the cost of diapers. More alarming however is the impact this has on the entire family. 57% of parents missed work because they didn’t have diapers to send to daycare. Factor in the cost of diapers, around $100 a month per child, and it can be easy to feel hopeless. However, Indiana Diaper Bank provides that ray of hope in a dark time.

At MJ, our Purpose drives us to be committed to wellbeing and that includes the wellbeing of those in our community. A lack of diapers is a serious issue impacting the physical, mental, and economic wellbeing of children and families. We admire the work of Indiana Diaper Bank for all they do to ensure the wellbeing of the most vulnerable in our Indiana community. Through its efforts, this organization turns families’ dreams into the reality of children living happy, healthy lives. We encourage you to get involved whether that be through volunteering, making a monetary donation or spreading the word.