Huggies Diaper Giveaway Day At The Anne Douglas Center/Los Angeles Mission

Sarah Auerswald / philanthropy / 1 Comment

Yesterday I helped give out diapers with Kim Tracy Prince on behalf of Huggies and their VERY generous donation of 40,000 diapers to the Anne Douglas Center at the Los Angeles Mission. Huggies’ Every Little Bottom program aims to provide up to 22.5 million diapers this year to families in need, and an effort like that I couldn’t help but support. Kim (of House of Prince) first made me aware of the diaper need among women of poverty. It turns out that diapers aren’t covered by WIC or food stamps, so often a mom in poverty must make hard choices about either buying food or diapers, but not both. Kim, who’s a Huggies Diaper/Blogger Ambassador and also a representative of Help A Mother Out, was inspired to organize a few diaper drives this past year and, as I said, I just want to help out.

If you’re a mom, diapers are a large part of your life, and even though I’m thankfully done changing them in my house (whew!), I haven’t forgotten how important they are. Knowing that some moms have to go without them is really a heartbreaking thought.

So it was especially heartwarming to discover what goes on at the Anne Douglas Center. Mondays – Fridays, from 10:30 to 5pm, the Center, located on Skid Row,  gives out diapers to moms who need them. But they can only do so much on their own. Diapers get used up awfully quickly, as you know, so donations are always needed. The 40,000 Huggies donated yesterday will be depleted before you know it. Please donate diapers to the Center whenever you can. There are also other diaper banks in Los Angeles and Help A Mother Out’s website has a list of them here.

Julia Frey (of Safety Graphic Fun), Tania (of Pure Natural Diva) and Catalina (of Catalina In LA) were also on hand to help distribute the diapers — and Julia and Tania co-hosted a diaper drive with Kim a few months ago. These Ladies are committed to the cause.

While we were at the Center, we got a tour of the facility and learned more about the Mission’s, um, mission. It’s such important work they’re doing. I was humbled and moved to help out, so I’ll be doing what I can. The Anne Douglas Center offers a live-in facility for women who want to change their lives, get clean & sober, or just get off the streets. It’s a year-long program offering classes, counseling, job training, and above all, an amazing, safe support system for the women who’ve made the commitment to change their lives.

The Center also offers services to women in the community who can only stop in to get help. Besides the diapers, the Center also gives women on the street a place to get cleaned up and find some clothes and food, and maybe have a moment of privacy. On Saturdays they have a Mommy and Me time, where moms can bring their kids for a clean-up and get a hot breakfast, too. The Anne Douglas Center accepts and welcomes donations of all sizes. They need women’s and children’s clothing, toiletry items, and money. Money is always welcome — as are volunteers. Please contact the Center to find out how you can be of service: (213) 614-0743.