Gentle Love Diaper Drive
- Heather Wlockowski
I met a remarkable young man who has a heart of gold and is taking a unique approach to serving his community. Kyle Zingler, interviewed for a Youth Commission position. Through casual conversation with him, he modestly talked about his community service project. He believes it is his duty to give back to the community that has given so much to him and his family. His insight, kindness, and forethought is exemplary. Spoiler alert, he will be offered a seat on the Commission. Here is what Kyle has to say about his Gentle Love Diaper Drive.
“With the current health crisis, the need for diapers has skyrocketed. Diapers are an essential item for any family with infants or toddlers, but unfortunately government programs like WIC and SNAP cannot be utilized to defray the cost for families. Hundreds of parents are unemployed, and cannot afford to purchase diapers, which easily accumulate into a significant expense for families, costing upwards of eighty dollars per a month per a child. Retailers have also struggled to keep shelves stocked with diapers because of disruption within the supply chain and influx in demand.
In an attempt to solve this injustice, Gentle Love Diaper Pantry was formed by Manchester High School Sophomore Kyle Zingler, in collaboration with MACC Food Pantry. The mission of Gentle Love Diaper Pantry is to showcase the heart of the Manchester community by connecting families who face economic barriers with diapers. The pantry will be holding its first contactless diaper drive on June 11th from 4-6pm at Manchester High School’s Summit Street parking lot at 134 East Middle Turnpike, Manchester, CT 06040. Members of the community are encouraged to place the diapers in the trunk of their vehicle, and volunteers will safely remove them upon arrival. All the diapers collected will be brought to MACC, who will help distribute the diapers to families in need.”
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