ALBANY, N.Y. — As many families continue to struggle due to the on-going pandemic, a new initiative put forth by New York State aims to give them one less thing to worry about.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a proposal to establish the New York State Cares + Baby2Baby Diaper Bank as part of the 2021 Women's Agenda. Baby2Baby is a national nonprofit that provides basic essentials for children under 18. As part of the partnership with the state, it will provide 20 million diapers to New York's Emergency Feeding Programs for distribution to local food banks at no cost to families.
Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof said, "We are so proud to partner with the state of New York to provide 20 million diapers to families impacted by COVID-19. Families living in poverty are always hit the hardest during any crisis, and COVID is no exception.
"The families we serve were already choosing between diapers and food for their babies, and when the pandemic began our requests immediately jumped 350% with moms and dads even resorting to making homemade diapers out of newspapers and towels. We hope that this donation provides relief to hundreds of thousands of New York parents and enables them to use their funds toward paying rent, putting food on the table and keeping their children safe."
Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to the Governor and Chair of the Governor's Council on Women and Girls, said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on all New Yorkers, and parents dealing with a sudden lack of child care and the stress of keeping their children safe are no exception. No parent should ever have to worry about affording basic products they need to keep their children healthy, and we're proud to partner with Baby2Baby on the launch of the Diaper Bank to provide these struggling parents with free diapers that can be accessed at food banks in their own communities."