2,000 DIAPERS, 4,000 WIPES COLLECTED IN DONATION DRIVE
OMAHA, Nebraska (June 4, 2024)—Today, Nebraska For Us is announcing the results of its diaper drive conducted in tandem with North Omaha Community Partnership, Black Men United, and I Be Black Girl. From May 17 to 31, we collected 2,000 diapers, 4,000 wipes, and more than $300 worth of monetary donations.
“Unsurprisingly, our community showed up in a big way as Nebraska For Us sought to find another way to help members of our community,” Nebraska For Us State Director Angie Lauritsen said. “The cost of goods is high, and Nebraska families living paycheck to paycheck don’t need them going any higher, not to mention our members of Congress voting to limit food assistance for families just trying to get by. That’s why it’s important to take a stand against harmful economic policies that do not help our hardworking neighbors, whether it’s through giving, advocacy, or another activity.”
According to Nebraska Diaper Bank, one-third of Nebraska families struggle to afford diapers for their children, and more than 13,000 of them in the metro experience diaper needs. Every month, Nebraska Diaper Bank provides 80,000 diapers to 1,250 area children. With WIC and SNAP not covering diapers, Nebraska Diaper Bank fills a void in the lives of young working class families working to make ends meet.
“It is difficult to begin to describe the impact this type of drive has on the parents we serve,” said Tamika Mease, executive director of North Omaha Community Partnership. “People are struggling to get by, and the need is getting greater by the day. Since our founding in 2020, our mission has been to rebuild, uplift, and empower people in our community, and this is just one of many ways we seek to accomplish that goal.”
Nebraska For Us thanks the following local businesses for serving as dropoff sites during the diaper drive:
Dollar Tree Omaha
Dining Room at Highlander Omaha
She’s Electable Nebraska Omaha
Pause Coffee Shop Ralston
Mathnasium Papillion
Cruizin’ Cones Gretna
The Attic Yutan
Nebraska For Us is urging Congressman Don Bacon to oppose massive cuts to SNAP that are included in this year’s Farm Bill. Rep. Bacon supported advancing the bill out of the House Committee on Agriculture with the cuts, and he voted against an amendment that would have removed those cuts from the legislation. It is not too late for him to change his position on that provision before a vote on final passage.
Nebraska For Us is also calling attention to H.J.Res. 122—a resolution that would keep predatory credit card late fees high at a time when working class and middle income Nebraskans are dealing with the high costs of child care, housing, groceries, health care, and more.
The resolution would undo a rule announced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) earlier this year that would lower the maximum credit card late fee to $8 from an average of $32. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the corporate special interests that they represent challenged the CFPB rule in court, and last month a federal judge blocked the rule from going into effect until there is an official ruling in the case.
Nebraska For Us is using this diaper drive to raise awareness on policies that would make life less affordable for parents—through cuts to SNAP in the Farm Bill and a resolution to eliminate a cap on credit card late fees—and urges Congressman Bacon to vote in favor of relief for families.
Nebraska For Us is a coalition of concerned Nebraskans focused on economic issues that affect working class families such as tax fairness, jobs, housing, the cost of living, inflation, and many more. We seek to reach residents of Congressional District 2 through a range of community events and initiatives. For more information and updates about our work, visit nebraskaforus.org.
