ST. LOUIS — St. Louis native and NBA star Jayson Tatum and his son Deuce are asking St. Louis to come together to help low-income families who need assistance getting diapers.
The Jayson Tatum Foundation and the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank are hosting the "Daddy and Deuce Diaper Drive," with the goal of filling the Diaper Bank with 1 million diapers in 30 days.
People can either donate money online or drop off diaper donations at the Diaper Bank at 6141 Etzel Avenue. A $12 donation can supply an entire month of diapers, according to a press release from the Jayson Tatum Foundation.
One out of three St. Louis parents regularly find themselves without diapers, forcing some to come up with unsanitary methods to reuse the diapers, the foundation said.
"Diapers cost at least $70+/month, and in some cases 5x more because most low-income neighborhoods have low-volume convenience stores instead of cheaper big box options," the release said. "Low-income families frequently must choose between buying diapers, putting food on the table, paying the rent, or keeping the utilities on."
The coronavirus pandemic has worsened the problem, the release said, and people can't get help from social programs like WIC and SNAP, which don't cover diaper purchases.
"The loss of employment and income due to COVID-19 will cause the need for diaper assistance to surge in the coming months. Like food, diapers ARE an essential!" the release said.
The St. Louis Area Diaper Bank supports around 30,000 children with more than 2 million diapers every year.
