GREENFIELD — For most parents, changing a diaper is simply another part of daily life. But for many families across Franklin and Hampshire counties, that everyday necessity can become an ongoing financial struggle.
To help meet that need, the United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region is once again inviting the community to participate in a diaper drive from Aug. 1 through Aug. 31. The monthlong campaign aims to collect 40,000 diapers and raise $10,000 to support the organization’s Diaper Bank, which distributes nearly 20,000 diapers each month through 14 partner agencies across the two counties.
While the drive’s collection totals remain an important benchmark, organizers say success is measured by much more than the number of diapers donated.
“Success for us is continuing that level of community engagement,” said Jenny Coeur, program director for United Way of the Franklin & Hampshire Region. “Having so many folks volunteer and businesses and organizations participate really shows that we’re getting the message out about diaper needs locally and that people are seeing it as an important issue.”
The annual campaign has steadily expanded since collection efforts first began in 2014. Coeur said the drive has grown into a well-organized regional effort powered by loyal volunteers, local businesses and nonprofit partners who keep coming back to help.
This year’s effort is supported by a broad coalition of community partners, including Greenfield Savings Bank, Greenfield Cooperative Bank and its Northampton Cooperative Bank division, Country Bank, Florence Bank, Northampton Radio Group, the Greenfield Recorder and the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Donation sites are available across Franklin and Hampshire counties, with additional opportunities to contribute during pop-up collection events at Stop & Shop in Greenfield on Saturday, Aug. 22, and Stop & Shop in Northampton on Saturday, Aug. 29, both from 10 a.m. to noon.
“United Way plays such a vital role in our communities throughout Hampshire and Franklin counties,” Abby LaValley, branch manager at Greenfield Cooperative Bank’s Amherst branch, said in a statement, announcing that the bank has collection boxes available at all 10 of its branches as part of the donation effort. “We love partnering with them each year for their annual diaper drive. It’s amazing to see the level of support coming from our customers and neighbors.”
According to Program Coordinator Nissa Hallquist, Greenfield Savings Bank has pledged to match up to $10,000 in monetary donations, effectively doubling the diaper drive’s fundraising goal.
That broad support has become increasingly important as demand continues to rise.
According to the National Diaper Bank Network, nearly 40% of families with young children nationwide struggle to afford diapers. At the same time, diapers cannot be purchased using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits, leaving many families to cover the expense entirely out of pocket. A single child can require more than $100 worth of diapers each month.
Coeur said local families are feeling the combined effects of rising housing costs, more expensive groceries and utilities, and broader economic pressures.
“Even though our output has stayed steady and increased,” she said, “we’re still seeing the same level of requests from families and the partners that we work with.”
Although any children’s diapers are accepted, organizers are especially seeking sizes 5, 6 and 7, along with pull-ups and wipes — items that are often the hardest to keep stocked.
United Way’s Diaper Bank works through a network of 14 community agencies that include food pantries, health centers and other family-serving organizations. By distributing supplies through existing services located across both counties, the organization can reach families in communities beyond Greenfield and Northampton.
“We’re really proud of the network that we’ve built,” Coeur said. “The partners are spread out all around the region, and that’s really important to us so folks are being served in all of the towns.”
For families receiving assistance, those diapers represent far more than convenience.
Partner agencies frequently tell United Way that diaper assistance eliminates a difficult financial decision. Instead of choosing between paying utility bills, buying groceries or purchasing diapers, families can redirect limited income toward other essential expenses.
Hallquist said the impact extends well beyond infancy.
“It can mean getting to go to daycare,” Hallquist said. “It can mean that the parent can go find work and stabilize themselves financially. Then the kids go to daycare and establish a good foundation for the rest of their school time and education. That’s what really opened my eyes when I started here. It means so much more than what you might think.”
Research supports that broader impact. According to a September 2025 report by the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) and Children’s HealthWatch, families participating in a diaper distribution pilot program reported lower caregiver stress, improved mental health, more frequent diaper changes and fewer severe diaper rashes requiring medical attention.
One reason organizers continue emphasizing public education alongside donations is because many residents are simply unaware of how widespread diaper insecurity is.
Coeur said many donors are surprised when they purchase diapers specifically for the drive and see today’s prices.
“Every year we hear that people didn’t realize how expensive they’ve become,” she said. “It’s a very real, legitimate challenge that families are facing.”
For more information about the diaper drive, visit uw-fh.org/diaper-drive, call 413-584-3962, ext. 102, or email program@uw-fh.org.
