Featured Agency of the Week: Midland County Department of Human Services

Department of Human Services, DHS, is a welfare agency for Midland County’s children and families. There are over 100 county offices throughout the state of Michigan, however Midland’s office stands out because of the partnership they have had with The Diaper Alliance since June 2011. Not only does DHS help individuals and families with food, cash, medical and emergency assistance, they also distribute to new babies, toddlers, children and adults with a need for diapers. This distribution takes place out of The Diaper Alliance building at 4606 James Savage Road in Midland on the third Friday of every month from 10:00 AM- 12:00PM. Only DHS clients are allowed to receive these diapers and they must bring their Bridge card and a Midland County form of identification.

DHS client Chrissy Smith receives diapers and greatly appreciates the partnership that DHS has created with The Diaper Alliance! Chrissy exclaimed, “Diapers are so expensive! Two kids and gas is ridiculous. If I had to pay for diapers I would not be able to get to school. If it wasn’t for The Diaper Alliance my kids would be in soggy diapers. I definitely make sure I am at every DHS distribution.” When it comes down to choosing your children over getting yourself and education, a job, etc. many people choose the safety and health of their child. Because DHS is a Partner Agency of The Diaper Alliance, now they don’t have to. Chrissy continued, “I want to get an education so I can provide for my kids. Receiving diapers is a blessing because it allows me to get closer to doing just that.”

Andi Pellegrini, Midland County DHS Community Resource Coordinator, concluded “I have worked with Debi Keyes, Diaper Alliance Executive Director, since the beginning of her amazing project. She is a truly inspiring woman who has done so much with her non-profit agency. Partnering with The Diaper Alliance has been a blessing to our families who struggle to pay everyday expenses, not to mention diapers! We serve around 60 families (100+ children) on a monthly basis and every time we are told they couldn’t make it without this service. Keep up the great work Debi Keyes, Chelsie Schroeder, and The Diaper Alliance! Cheers to many more years!”

If you would like to learn more about the Midland County Department of Human Services visit their website or call (989) 835-7040.

FEATURED AGENCY OF THE WEEK: The Railway Family Center

Railway Family Center is not another place to go play basketball on a Thursday night. This Center set out to meet a need in the Coleman community and now provides before and after school care, youth and adult athletic programs, preschool, a family assistance pantry, fitness classes and a fitness center. Executive Director, Katie VanDuinen, states “We provide services in a rural community which often means that our families have a higher number of risk factors such as lack of transportation, challenges accessing services, a higher poverty level, parents with lower levels of education, etc.” In order assist community members in these areas the Railway Family Center has built trust in the surrounding area and proved to be a source for educational and encouraging mental and physical enrichment. One specific example is the partnership that the Railway Family Center has with The Diaper Alliance. This partnership allows the Railway Family Center to diaper individuals of all age ranges, within a certain income level, without the clients having to travel all the way to Midland.

“When my husband got laid off, right after I gave birth to our second child, we had a hard time making ends meet. I called 211 to ask for help with diapering my new baby. I was referred to the Railway Family Center to ask for help. This was the first time that we have ever needed any kind of assistance. I went to Railway to ask about diapers and they were able to provide me with the help we needed. Being able to get support with diapers is a great thing to offer everyone. We are truly grateful that The Diaper Alliance exists, and is offered in our area.” –Railway Family Center client

If you would like to become a member of the Railway Family Center, please visit their website or contact them at (989) 465-2079. Working together, we can meet the need. 

FEATURED AGENCY OF THE WEEK: The Salvation Army

When you have a physical need sometimes there is more to the story, another underlying cause. Maybe there is an emotion attached to the physical need, maybe you do not feel socially accepted and that is creating the physical need or maybe you have a spiritual disconnect and that is the underlying problem. The Salvation Army, Midland Corps seeks to serve the needs of the whole person physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

When you hear of The Salvation Army you probably think of the red kettle buckets at the mall during Christmastime. The Salvation Army is much more than that. They take the time to understand the entire situation of each struggling client that walks through their door, placing a great emphasis on family structure and development. The Salvation Army offers character building programs that help families develop attitudes and skills to improve family life, as well as a successful life for each individual involved. Specifically, they have partnered with The Diaper Alliance to meet the need for struggling families who need diaper assistance. Captain Brian Goodwill states, “We here at The Salvation Army feel we have been blessed to partner with The Diaper Alliance in order to help meet some of the most basic needs for parents in our community. Nearly every time we assist someone with diapers we hear them tell us ‘You don’t know how much this will help us out.’” Goodwill continues, “With the high price of diapers, along with the rising prices of other household basic necessities, this partnership is now more important than ever for the families we serve.”

Meeting immediate needs of those in our community is very important, but The Salvation Army focuses on addressing long-term issues that will generate real life change. Working with partners, like The Diaper Alliance, allows The Salvation Army to meet a variety of needs and give their clients the best possible assistance and care. If you would like to learn more about The Salvation Army visit their website or call Captain Brian Goodwill at (989) 496-2787.

FEATURED AGENCY OF THE WEEK: Caregiving Network

Imagine living solely off of food stamps and maybe some cash assistance, searching every single day for a place to work so you can clothe, shelter and provide for your family. Many of the clients at Caregiving Network live this life every time the sun comes up. Several clients are young single mothers who have no extra money for diapers and are in a desperate state, trying to provide for their child.

A Christian run non-profit organization, Caregiving Network, Inc., meets the basic needs of individuals who are living below the 2013 100% Poverty Income Level in Midland County. Caregiving Network partners with community organizations and local churches to teach skills and promote self-sufficiency to each individual who walks through their doors.

Not only does Caregiving Network work with The Diaper Alliance to provide diapers for families in need, they also have food, clothing, household and personal care pantries and provide transportation, rent and utility assistance. Since 1994, Caregiving Network has continued to shape the lives of those financially struggling in our community and with your support they can continue to do so. If you have any questions about volunteering or supporting our Partner Agency, Caregiving Network, please visit their website or call Executive Director, Tom Vander Zouwen, at (989) 837-9757. 

Almost 500,000 Diapers Delivered!

Finished and stuffed to the brim! The Diaper Alliance finished unloading the second semi of Huggies diapers on Wednesday, July 3rd and our warehouse is officially full.

It was a good thing that the second semi full of diapers arrived on Wednesday morning instead of Monday with the first load, because the warehouse would not have been ready for such large numbers! In order to prepare for the second semi, a large hole had to be cut into the dry wall, electrical wires had to be moved, pallet jacks had to be ordered and the first load of diapers had to be moved to our second warehouse room. Everything was completed on time and the second semi full of diapers arrived around 10:00 AM on Wednesday morning. 

Around 2:00 PM on Wednesday every pallet was unloaded and strategically placed in The Diaper Alliance warehouse. The building is now filled with a total of 47 pallets of diapers, ranging from size 3-6. The expected 250,000 diapers we thought Huggies was going to send us, turn into nearly 500,000 diapers! 

The Diaper Alliance was shell shocked when hearing such a large number! We had no idea that we would get so many diapers. A huge thank you goes out to The Galloup Company for unloading the pallets, as well as Arianna and her family and the Signatures Photography men for helping us move pallets and sort the diapers in the warehouse. 

We are in complete awe of the blessings we have been given. We are now stocked and ready for the next challenge, distributing the diapers to the families who need us! 

View the Photo Album.