Incontinence might seem like a silent problem, but that’s likely only if you’re not the one suffering from it. For people dealing with incontinence, it can control them every day – especially without the right protection.
Our Adult Care Essentials (A.C.E.) program recognizes this silent need and provides incontinence products to partner nonprofits that serve seniors in need. We have a lot of local partners serving Northeast Wisconsin, but we also stretch across the United States and around the globe.
In Puerto Rico, an elderly woman was sent home “hopeless,” after a devastating aggressive cancer diagnosis and not much hope for life the received products from our A.C.E. program for some relief during this difficult time, and one year later was still beating the odds.
Also in a Puerto Rican monastery, Jake’s supplied 3 bed-ridden nuns with incontinence products from this program. It’s important that all these individuals continue to live with dignity, no matter the circumstances.
There are more seniors suffering in silence who need your help. Consider a donation to our ACE program today, just $12 provides a month supply to someone in need.
As COVID-19 continues to surge across the United States, the U.S. territory Puerto Rico is not free of the increasing case trends.
As of Dec. 3, there were 52,000 confirmed cases in Puerto Rico with more than 41,600 probable cases and 1,150 deaths; the island has a population of 3.2 million people. The governor on Thursday announced tighter measures including lockdowns and curfews in an effort to curb the growing caseload.
The territory has also had among the highest rates of unemployment and 6.9% in the end of October, and essential additional Federal unemployment benefits are set to run out before the year is over.
Women have been hit hard during COVID as it relates to unemployment, now facing childcare issues with school and daycare closures or limitations.
We continue our work to supply essential basic hygiene needs so that people struggling with poverty face one less burden while working to overcome these difficulties.
While we all continue in the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognize that many people are also struggling with layers of other difficulties - such as those still awaiting a return to normal since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017.
Late July, FEMA acknowledged the lack of support Puerto Rico has in returning to normal.
“Maria damaged roughly 800,000 homes on Sept. 20, 2017, causing minor damage to some and sweeping many others from their foundations,” an article on NBCnews.com says. “A federally funded program administered by local officials carried out relatively small repairs to about 108,000 homes in 2018, while churches and nonprofits patched up thousands with private funds.”
Jake’s Diapers has acted as a bridge during this pandemic to transport essential hygiene products to community organizations serving the populations most in need, in order to provide the additional support individuals and families need to thrive.
While families wait for support to rebuild, your help in delivering these products to children in Puerto Rico is crucial. Thank you.
The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionally impacting children and families who lack access to clean diapers and other basic necessities. Hoarding, loss of jobs and shelter in place orders have forced more families to turn to nonprofit diaper banks, depleting available supplies.
Our Increased Distribution Exemplifies this Overwhelming Impact
In February, our program distributed 23,621 diapers to 472 children and families. This is a pretty normal month.
In March, we delivered 46,378 diapers to 1,009 children and families.
We expect this number to continue to grow.
Parents strolling the baby aisle across the U.S. are running into limited options and even empty shelves as the world continues its fight against COVID-19. Thank you for your continued support in providing essential items to families in need, especially at these most crucial times.
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There are many barriers families face, and those caring for a loved on with special needs have extra challenges.
With your help, we were able to support a special needs child in Puerto Rico who had recently received an operation.
The mom felt in desperate need.
“I was able to provide her with the cloth pads, since the diapers the daughter needs are bigger than the ones I have — but we could help her at least in some way, and she was really happy,” Lorraine said. Lorraine is a Puerto Rico resident who works with us to distribute diapers in Puerto Rico.
Some cloth kits were provided to Fundacion Lazos de Amor to serve families on a waitlist.
Thank you for all the support you’ve provided, making it possible for us to serve families like these in Puerto Rico.
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