SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — Tens of thousands of diapers were donated Sunday to local families in need.
It was all part of Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher's annual holiday season party and diaper drive held this year at Chiquita's Mexican Restaurant in Fairmount Park.
From single packages to entire crates, the amount of diapers donated to the San Diego Food Bank was exactly what she had hoped for when she started the annual drive four years ago.
"Our first year, we collected 3,000 diapers [and] we were really proud of that," Gonzalez-Fletcher said. "As of today, we're gonna reach a quarter of a million diapers."
Gonzalez-fletcher says collecting diapers for low income families is crucial considering on average many spend upwards of $100 every month.
"They're not covered through WIC, they're not covered through food stamps, through Welfare to Work, and yet if you wanna get back on your feet and send your kid to childcare, you have to provide diapers," she said.
Providing those diapers were individual donors as well as large corporations and unions like Southwest Airlines, Cox Cable, Oportun Loans, San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council, and Ironworkers Local 229.
"Lorena saw a need for the diapers and Ironworkers 229 saw that need and together convinced the unions to come together and we have been nonstop collecting diapers throughout the county," said Gretchen Newsom from SD Building Trades.
The diapers will be distributed at six sites throughout the county by the San Diego Food Bank - now considered an official diaper bank as well.
"Right now, it's our holiday season and everyone thinks food drives, but it's so nice to take a little twist and also think about families in need of diapers," said the food bank's Vanessa Moore. "So, we're doing diapers drives now and it's all year long and it's not just during the holidays."
