CINCINNATI — During the last few weeks, diaper prices have climbed between $3 and $15 because of shortages and hard-to-get supplies.
This spike is hurting families who were already struggling to make ends meet, leaving caregivers looking for diapers they can't afford.
Typically, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank Warehouse should have a supply of three months of diapers. But CEO Megan Fischer said at the height of the pandemic, their supply was wiped out.
Fischer said they see a lot of situational poverty and with people losing their jobs during the pandemic, they had a 25-percent increase in diaper distribution, with total requests were even higher.
A recent report shows one in three families experiencing diaper need. Fischer says that has been the case for decades.
"Families are waking up in the morning going, 'I have three diapers, how am I going to get my kid to daycare?,'" Fischer said. "You have to send your kid with a full-day supply of diapers in order to drop them off at daycare. So it's really hard to know, do I get to go to work today? Do I get to go to school when you wake up looking at 2 or 3 diapers left and knowing that has to get you to your next paycheck because you have to have cash to buy diapers."
Fischer says it is important and often misunderstood in the public by the general public that diapers cannot be bought with government assistance, which is why this drive is so important.
People who want to donate diapers can visit an area Starbucks location. Look for the blue bins in the corners of the restaurant. You can drop off diapers for needy families until Sunday.
