Diapers for Children at a Homeless Shelter

Much of the work we do at Jake’s Diapers is a story that unfolds between the lines. We look beyond the obvious poverty problems that drive global health issues to understand true needs that contribute to the overall quality of life.

While poverty has been a long-term struggle in Puerto Rico, the devastation from Hurricane Maria in 2017 only created deeper pockets for poverty to linger.

In these deep poverty pockets, there are many parents struggling with another basic thing for the kids: diaper needs.

Diapers should be changed every 1 to 2 hours during the day to prevent rashes and irritations.This can mean supplying 12 plus diapers per day for these kids. 

But many parents who struggle to afford diapers will keep their children in a single diaper longer to stretch their diaper supply. This can cause minor irritations for the babies that can escalate to larger problems. 

Babies who sit in soiled diapers too long can develop rashes and urinary tract infections. In Puerto Rico, this problem is exacerbated by the heat, where a rash can often turn into a yeast infection, said Loraine, a Puerto Rico mom who works directly with Jake’s Diapers to distribute donations to those in need in Puerto Rico. 

The government does not cover medicines for babies until they are four years old, she said. Then, in the unfortunate event that a more serious infection occurs, it becomes ever more difficult to provide adequate care for the child.

All because the family didn’t have enough diapers.

Our cloth diaper kits can prevent diapering problems that lead to serious illness because, by simply washing the diapers, the family has a never-ending supply of clean diapers for their kids.

Thanks for helping babies in Puerto Rico!

~ Stephanie