Share the Love is an awesome program that connects cloth diapers with families in need. There are so many families through-out Central Iowa, who cannot afford basic necessities. Share the Love helps with taking one of many expenses off their shoulders, diapers.
To be able to connect families with cloth diapers we need DONATIONS! Do you have cloth diapers at home, that you no longer use? It is okay if they are not in the best shape, we can make them work!
We now have an official drop-off location! Little Padded Seats, located in Valley West Mall, was gracious enough to offer their store as a drop-site for donations. If you come across any cloth diapers or accessories (i.e. wet bags, cloth wipes) bring them into the store and place them in the Share the Love basket!
Are you a family in need? Please follow this link and fill out the application. We will get you connected with diapers ASAP!
Learn more about Share the Love: Central Iowa here!
Never heard of it? I hadn’t either; in fact I didn’t even know that diaper need was an issue for families across the country until I attended MommyCon a couple years ago. Low income families can qualify for many assistance programs like SNAP and WIC that help cover the costs of food and formula but that still leaves the cost of diapers. We all know diapers are expensive!
When I had my daughter 7 years ago I was introduced to cloth diapers and soon realized that not only are they super cute but they saved me a ton of money and I never had to worry about how I was going to make diapers last until next payday.
According to Share the Love, an organization that provides cloth diapers to needy families, 1 in 3 moms have struggled to pay for diapers. The truth is 8% of moms have used or attempted to use a disposable diaper longer by leaving the baby in a wet diaper or attempting to reuse a diaper that is meant for single use which can cause health issues like rashes or yeast infections. There are many great organizations that provide diapers to families in need like Share the Love. The thing I love most about this organization is that it was started because the founder of CottonBabies, Jenn Labit, started the organization based on her personal experience of not being able to afford diapers.
How can you help? Visit Share the Love to find the closest host site to donate cloth diapers you no longer use or to buy new diapers to be donated for a family in need.
Midwest Mom & Wife is an official Share the Love host!
I am so excited to announce that I am officially a Share the Love host for Central Iowa! What is Share the Love? I have mentioned it a few times since I returned from MommyCon Minneapolis, but I wanted to wait to go into more detail.
Share the Love is a National Cloth Diaper Bank. In 2012, Share the Love was created and began in St. Louis, Missouri. The sole purpose of this program is to distribute and provide cloth diapers to low-income families. A study was done, that one in three American families were forced to choose between food, household items and diapers. Jennifer Labit, owner of Cotton Babies, wanted to help change this.
“It feels like yesterday that my family was in this situation,” Labit said.” Ten years ago, I had a $30 weekly grocery budget and a WIC check. My family had to choose between diapers and food. If it wasn’t for a friend who generously sent my family cloth diapers as a gift, I don’t know what we would have done. Her gift helped my family and changed our lives, and I hope Share the Love will do the same for others.”
Since 2012, there have been host sites created in all 50 states across America. Many states have several host sites. To receive diapers, eligible families must apply for assistance. All of the diapers that are donated to Share the Love sites, are donated from other families who no longer need or use their cloth diapers.
So, what can YOU do?
Donate! You can donate any cloth diapers you no longer use. If they need a little tending to, that is okay. We will make sure they get put back into working condition, before they are distributed to families. You can also donate cloth wipes and/or changing pads!
Be a drop site! Do you own a business or work within a business that would be a great place for people to leave their diapers for donation? We are looking for several places in Central Iowa to leave baskets and information about the program. We would provide the basket & materials and would pick-up as often as needed!
Help spread the word to low-income families! Do you know of a great place or organization that we can spread the word about Share the Love? Share the Love is new to Central Iowa and many low-income families may not know of this option. With your help, we can help ease the minds of these families by getting them cloth diapers!
If you can help in ANY of these areas or have questions about the program please contact me at SharetheLove@cottonbabies.com.
While at MommyCon Minneapolis I learned a lot about the company Cottonbabies. I was familiar with the company, knew they sold some awesome cloth diapers, but learned that they are so much more! Not only do they sell amazing diapers, but they strive to help people less fortunate, support mothers, honest, and owner Jen Labit is amazing! Let me break down some awesome reasons to love and support this amazing company.
1. Jen Labit is a working mother and wife. When I attended her VIP session at MommyCon, I learned that she may own and run a very successful cloth diapering company, but she is a mother and wife first. She has the same struggles to “fit it all in” as we do. She is a very inspirational woman and believes that mothers should have the “permission to dream”.
2. Jen Labit supports working mothers. Not only does she support them, she allows the mothers who work for her, to bring their children to work. She recently wrote a blog post, that explains how important it was for her to have her babies with her, when trying to grow and make Cottonbabies successful and how they make it work now.
3. Cottonbabies gives back to the community through Share the Love. I learned about this amazing program while at MommyCon! Share the Love is a National Cloth Diaper Bank. People are able to donate any cloth diapers, they no longer use to Share the Love. Hosts from all around the country, volunteer and help distribute the cloth diapers to families who are in need. Think about it … families who have little ones in disposable diapers and who are struggling, could save so much if they no longer had to buy disposable diapers all the time! Yes, it is an investment to start cloth diapering, but Share the Love is here to help those families do it! I was so inspired by this program, I am now a Share the Love Host for Central Iowa families! Keep your eyes and ears open for more details 🙂
4. They offer several types of cloth diapers. Cottonbabies has created four different brands including: Bumgenius, Flip System, Econobum and Hemp Babies. By offering four different brands, there is surely something you will find and fall in love with. It’s important to have options and when it comes to cloth diapering there are a LOT of options and systems out there. It’s important to find what works best for you and your family. I just recently fell in love with the Flip System!
5. The Genius Series is freaking adorable 🙂 I want and need all of these! I love how Cottonbabies got unique and created some fun diapers representing some genius people in history! Geniuses that are represented include: Albert Einstein, Nelle Harper Lee, Louis Armstrong, Alicia Boole Stott, Osa Johnson, Matin Johnson, Ada Lovelace, Wangari Maathai, Steve Irwin, Jules Verne, Lewis Carroll, Audrey Hepburn, Charlie Chaplin, Marie Tharp, and Dr. E. Lee Spence.
I went to MommyCon Minneapolis a little over a week ago and had so much fun! I am so excited to share some awesome things I learned, new products I saw, and some amazing people I met. To give you an idea of what is to come, here is a little re-cap …
1. VIP Session with Jennifer Labit from Cottonbabies! She is an amazing mother and business woman! I learned so much from her AND because of her, I am now a Share the Love host! More details to come 🙂
2. BabyganicsAWESOME products and I have a bunch to test out, share my thoughts and GIVEAWAY!
5. I met The Honest Toddler!! Bummi Laditan is hilarious! I am excited to read her new book and give away a signed copy by her!
6. I listened to TheBabyGuyNYC talk about strollers and carseats AND Amelia got her picture taken with him.
I had so much fun meeting awesome people, learning about new baby products, and so much more. Please keep your eyes open for my reviews and some great giveaways coming your way!
