OCEANSIDE — Despite facing deep cuts due to the state’s budget deficit, the San Diego Food Bank is sustaining its diaper program through a combination of state funding and public donations.
The San Diego Food Bank started its diaper bank in 2018 after former Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez helped to secure state funding for the program.
The diaper bank, one of the first programs of its kind in the state, has continued its mission of helping low-income and military families in need of diapers for the past six years.
Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed deep cuts in next year’s state budget to address the nearly $45 million budget shortfall. This means the diaper bank would not receive its usual $3.75 million for an additional three years.
The bank was at risk of shutting down until Assemblymember Laurie Davies (R-Laguna Niguel) stepped in.
“She came to us because she wanted to help,” said San Diego Food Bank CEO Casey Castillo.
Davies secured half of the program’s annual funding from the state – about $800,000 – to keep the diaper bank running.
To compensate for the missing funds, the San Diego Food Bank held two diaper drives at Walmarts in Oceanside and Vista on June 28 to collect physical diaper donations of all sizes and money to help purchase more diapers. That day, the food bank received 10,256 diapers between the two locations.
“People have been so fantastic – especially with the cost of everything being so expensive right now,” said Davies at the Oceanside diaper drive. “Everyone’s been so generous.”
Last year, the diaper bank distributed 9 million diapers through approximately 100 nonprofits partnered with the program.
According to the food bank, nearly 8,000 families received diapers monthly throughout 2023.
While the food bank hopes to sustain its diaper bank program through partial state funding and donations, its leaders haven’t given up on furthering its reach across the county.
“We’re always interested in growing,” Castillo said. “We have 100 nonprofits that we work with, but we also have a waitlist of other nonprofits, so this is certainly a program that we not only want to sustain, but we want to grow as well.”
Money donations also go a long way for the food bank. According to Castillo, with every dollar the food bank receives, the money will be leveraged to provide two meals and diapers.
“That dollar can go a long way because of our amazing volunteers and the relationships we have with our wholesalers and retailers, plus other efficiencies that exist within our organization,” Castillo said. “We know that every dollar counts.”
To donate money to the diaper bank, visit www.sandiegofoodbank.org/diaperdrive.
1 comment
Diapers are expensive. Best to potty train the little one as soon as possible. Don’t wait until they tell you at 2 or 3 or even 5 or 6.
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