It all goes back to creamed soups and diapers.

Years ago, when my two sons and I visited our local pantry for a volunteer shift stocking shelves during a busy and cold holiday season, I asked a kind, hardworking member of the staff about their most-needed items. At the time, half paying attention with one eye on the kids and another on my own shelf stocking, I expected his response to be something I’d just keep in mind for the next canned goods drive at the elementary school.

But he had replied, “creamed soups and diapers,” and there was something about both of those items that froze me.

There is the decadence, heartiness, warmth and simplicity of canned creamed soups. (How important it would be for those popular items NOT to run out for any of the pantry’s guests…but if they did run out, surely there’d be the option to pick up another type of soup or canned good? I remember hoping for that to be the case.) The need for diapers grabbed at my heart too, but for the opposite reason. If a mom came to the pantry in need of diapers and found empty diaper shelves for her baby’s size, what would she do?

This is probably the understatement of the century for so many parents, but becoming a mom was - and still is - the most treasured part of my life, and it is also far from the easiest role, that is for sure. It’s both of those things at once and so many things in between; all while feeling like your heart is navigating life uncontrollably outside of your body. And that’s WITH having the most basic baby essentials on hand. I can’t even imagine the expense and added stress in getting those basics today as one in two families struggle to pay for diapers, according to the National Diaper Bank Network.

Several years have passed since the nice man shared his observations with us, and my sons are now teenagers. I wish I could say that we still frequent the pantry to volunteer despite their busy schedules, but I have learned so much more about this need for diapers. Since that shift, there have been many times when mentioning the dream to create Hope in Bundles to friends that they’ve responded along the lines of… My parents say the same thing about that being at the top of the list of needs at their local pantry on Cape Anne. And… My college roommate does similar work in Florida. And last but not least… One of my biggest regrets was watching a young mom ahead of me at the checkout unable to pay for all of her items. As she handed back the diapers to the cashier I felt like I should’ve stepped in to do something. Truly, I’ve heard all of these moving pieces of feedback!

The explanation for this widespread need for diaper banks is clear. Federal programs such as WIC and SNAP don’t cover diapers. I would love to partner with you to acknowledge this need on a local level in our community and work together to address it - whether that’s through a community service project, in-kind donation or monetary support that could help support a mother in crisis. You can find all of those options on our main page. Thank you for your consideration! And during the next local canned goods drive, perhaps we might all consider the creamed soups.