Filling A Need

Thousands of Diapers to Local Families

By Craig Reed

Teresa Baur had been a low-income, single parent. So, when she saw families and parents on social media asking for diaper help for their babies and toddlers, Teresa was inspired to help.

“It tugged at my heart,” Teresa says. Rather than living with that feeling or letting it fade away, Teresa set about to help.

Initially, she bought diapers with her own money, put the word out that she had diapers to give away, and distributed them from her Springfield home. It didn’t take long for Teresa to see the need was greater than what she could provide. In 2019, she established the Lane County Diaper Bank, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Diaper Bank Network. She continues to direct the organization as its only paid employee.

“People were constantly asking for diaper support,” Teresa says. “It hurt that no other support services were available to provide for this need.”

The diaper nonprofit is now based out of an office and warehouse in Springfield. A six-member board of directors, several individual volunteers, and business and agency partners help Teresa distribute diapers, accept donations, and organize diaper drives and fundraisers.

In 2024, the Lane County bank distributed 240,000 diapers. About 600 families received diapers—mostly disposable and some cloth for babies and toddlers 4 years and younger—each month. Families can get a 25-pack of diapers twice a month.

“We’re not meant to supply all diaper needs,” Teresa says. “We don’t have the funding or diapers to do that.”

According to the National Diaper Bank Network, households experiencing diaper needs are an average of 50 diapers short a month, and more than a quarter of the families in need rely on diaper banks to help fill the gap.

“They didn’t ask to be born into a financial restraint, so they’re the ones we want to help,” Teresa says.

The Lane County Diaper Bank’s mission is to improve the community through programs that solve previously unnoticed problems, including access to disposable baby diapers and wipes. The nonprofit encourages residents to join in its mission to end diaper needs in the community. It recognizes that children in low-income families are at the highest risk of suffering the effects of diaper needs. Public support programs offer help, but fulfilling diaper needs helps young children build a strong foundation for healthy growth and reach their full potential, according to the Lane County Diaper Bank’s website.

Melody Pittman has been a volunteer with the nonprofit for almost 2 years and is the president of the organization’s board of directors. When she was researching options to volunteer, she decided on the diaper bank because “you can’t find a more needy demographic than infants.”

“I grew up in a low-income situation,” she says. “I know what it’s like to be without necessities. A lot of people don’t realize diapers are a necessity item.”

For those seeking diaper support, more information and a signup form can be found at lcdiaperbank.org or by visiting the office at 3050 Game Farm Road in Springfield during office hours, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

“We’re strictly community and volunteer-supported,” Teresa says. “We’re largely funded by grants and foundations. We rely on business sponsorships, fundraisers, and diaper drives. There’s no state or federal government support.”

The bank’s budget in 2024 was $60,000. The budget has been increased to $80,000 for 2025. Funds are used to buy diapers directly from manufacturers at discounted prices.

While most of the Lane County Diaper Bank’s focus is on helping the youngest family members, it also has another program that provides items for those older with incontinence issues. Those items are mainly donated, and no form needs to be filled out to be a recipient.