JACKSON, Mich. — From food and medicine to clothes and toys, raising kids is expensive.
One of the bigger expenses is diapers. The United Way of Jackson is helping parents to cover that cost.
The need in Jackson is huge, as 63 percent of households are in poverty.
One Jackson resident, Brooke Curtis, is a single mother raising three children.
"As a single mom, when I get my paycheck, you pay for your bills, you pay for your housing, you pay for your food. You have this small amount left, so you are like, what am I going to do? Am I going to put gas in my car for the week, am I going to get my child diapers, am I going to be able to pay for fewer prescriptions?" Curtis said.
One of her children has special needs, so a lot of money goes toward medical costs.
She said the diaper drive will be a huge help to her family.
"Anybody who donates or who is in a position to donate, really just gives families peace of mind that their children's needs are going to be met. I think that is really awesome," Curtis said.
The United Way of Jackson is one of the organizers of the diaper drive.
"Any size that you can buy, disposable diapers, we will take them. We have people in need," said Ken Toll, president and CEO of United Way of Jackson.
The organization says parents should not have to make the decision between feeding their families or buying diapers.
"We want to give those families as much relief as possible so they can eat well, they can take care of their other needs and they can start building financial stability," Toll said.
You can donate diapers from March 11-22 at the following locations:
- United Way of Jackson County: 536 N. Jackson St.
- Henry Ford Allegiance Health
- Cafeteria: 205 N. East Ave.; Jackson Square lobby, 100 E. Michigan Ave.; and the Orthopedic/Neuroscience Center lobby, 1201 E. Michigan Ave.
- CP Federal Union: All locations
- Western High School: 1400 S. Dearing Road, Parma.
If you can't get to one of the locations, you can still help by texting "DIAPER" to 91999. You will be able to choose how much you want to donate.
