L.E.A.P. seeking diaper supplies for families in need across Santa Barbara County

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - It’s lunch time for babies at the L.E.A.P. children’s center in Santa Barbara.

Teachers at the nonprofit organization are seeing plenty of families arriving with their babies, but not enough diaper supplies.

“We have to send them a message. we need to provide a note ... we need to tell them in person … and we still have families returning the next day saying that they forgot the diapers," said teacher Elizabeth Padilla of L.E.A.P.

The L.E.A.P. team believes the lack of diapers can have a negative impact on a child's health.

“Sadly, one and two families in the united states reports struggling to afford diapers ... sometimes they have to choose between buying food and putting clean diapers on their babies," said executive director Lori Goodman of L.E.A.P.

The L.E.A.P. team is calling the community to donate diapers as part of Santa Barbara County’s only registered diaper bank this week.

“We know how desperate our housing crisis is … so diapers alleviate just a little bit of stress for families who are struggling with so much in the world," said Goodman.

This year, directors of the organization is hoping the community will donate at least 10,000 diapers for family’s across the county.

"But this is one thing we can do that is tangible, and it really makes a difference," said Goodman.

"My hope is to have free diapers for our babies every day so parents don’t have to buy them and we can have them in the house here," said Padilla.

Each month, L.E.A.P. distributes 7,000 diapers to families in need across the county.

They say parents are unable to send their children to day care if they don’t have diapers, causing them to miss work or school.

Since 2021, the organization has distributed over 200,000 diapers to families across the county.

Diaper Need Awareness Week begins Sept. 23-24 and is a nationwide initiative to bring awareness to this critical need.

Directors of L.E.A.P. say Santa Barbara County just became the first county in California to recognize Diaper Need Awareness Week.

L.E.A.P. was recognized for its roll in supporting families with diapers earlier this month.

For more information on how you can donate diapers to families in need, visit: https://leapcentralcoast.org/diaperbank/ https://leapcentralcoast.org/gva_event/diaperneedawareness2024/