St. Louis Area Diaper Bank Hosts Fill the Cove Fundraiser
Period supply drive and fundraiser to kick off Period Poverty Awareness Week
(St. Louis, Mo., May 9, 2022) — The St. Louis Area Diaper Bank will host its first Fill the Cove fundraiser on Sat., May 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its headquarters located at 6141 Etzel Ave. The event kicks off Period Poverty Awareness Week held May 23 to 29.
The Diaper Bank is asking the community to host a period supply drive or raise funds to support the nonprofit. Fill the Cove participation opportunities include hosting a physical period supply drive and bringing donations to the Diaper Bank on May 21; hosting an Amazon online virtual drive where period supplies can be sent directly to the Diaper Bank; and collecting monetary donations so that, for every $1 donated, the Diaper Bank can directly purchase five period supplies for those in need.
The Diaper Bank’s period supply program collaborates with the Alliance for Period Supplies to ensure access to menstrual hygiene products. The program distributes supplies through community partners, as well as advocates for the elimination of “period poverty.” To date more than 450,000 period supplies have been distributed in St. Louis, with 10,800 period supplies allocated each week. Last year two-thirds of low-income women in St. Louis could not afford menstrual hygiene products, with 46% of low-income women having to choose between food and period supplies.
The St. Louis Area Diaper Bank collects, stores, and distributes 250,000 free diapers per month to struggling families through a network of 56 community, nonprofit, educational and health care partners serving low-income women and children. To date more than eight million diapers have been distributed in St. Louis including nearly 900,000 diapers during the height of the pandemic.
Founded in 2014, the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank provides diaper access to the region’s low-income families, as well as raises community awareness about the causes and consequences of diaper need. The nonprofit is a member of the National Diaper Bank Network, a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to eliminating diaper need and “period poverty” in America. The St. Louis Alliance for Period Supplies (STL APS) – a program created in 2019 by the diaper bank – ensures access to menstrual hygiene products, which allows full participation in daily life with dignity. For more information about the Diaper Bank, call (314) 624-0888 or visit their website.