St. Luke’s makes first diaper drive donation

Thanks to community support the Waypoint Madge Phillips Center received its first diaper delivery this morning from St. Luke's Hospital.

Last month, St. Luke's announced its Bottom Line: Babies Need Diapers campaign, which is a social media campaign that aims to donate diapers to families in need. Every day, infants and toddlers in our community go without one of their most basic needs – diapers. That's because the needs of families who are homeless or living in poverty are greater than ever. In 2010, Waypoint in Cedar Rapids saw a 30 percent increase in women and families seeking help to meet basic needs. These needs include diapers and anyone who has raised a child understands how expensive diapers can be. It can cost hundreds of dollars a year to diaper a baby and many struggling families have more than one child in diapers.

St. Luke's Hospital is helping remedy this problem by supporting Waypoint Madge Phillips Center with the Bottom Line: Babies Need Diaperscampaign.For every new “Like” or answered question on the St. Luke's Birth Care Facebook page, which is http://www.facebook.com/stlukesbirthcare.

This week marks the halfway point of the Bottom Line Babies Need Diapers campaign. This morning St. Luke's is donating several thousand diapers to the Waypoint Madge Phillips Center.”St. Luke's is proud of this campaign,” said Dianne Olinger, St. Luke's Birth Care Center manager. “We felt strongly about addressing this need in our community andare thrilled Eastern Iowans are getting behind this very important cause. We urge others who have not participated to go online and get involved.”

“This is such a gift for the Waypoint Madge Phillips Center and for the thousands of children we serve,” said Liz Hoskins, Waypoint Madge Phillips Center executive director. “We are thrilled to receive this many diapers. We couldn't be more thankful to St. Luke's and the community members that participated in the campaign for this generous donation and the recognition of the importance of filling this basic need.”During this community campaign St. Luke's is expecting to donate up to 28,000 diapers to the Waypoint Madge Phillips Center. Again, the campaign ends August 20.