[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 13, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1892-S1893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING THE UTAH DIAPER BANK

 Mr. LEE. Mr. President, today I offer my recognition of the 
unique service of the Utah Diaper Bank to the people of Utah and, 
seecifically, to the children of our great State. Their service, now 
spanning nearly a decade, officially started in March 2013 when a few 
dedicated individuals recognized the necessity fof an organized, 
community-based approach to collecting and distributing diapers. Today, 
after years of careful planning and hard work, hundreds of thousands of 
diapers are being distributed throughout Utah to those who need them.
  Some years ago, Victor Velivis, a Utah information technology 
professional, was watching television when he noticed an vertisement 
placed by a crisis nursery. The nursery requested diapers, not to 
stockpile them, but because they were out--flat out--of diapers. Vic 
donated what diapers he could and kept tabs on the nursery for a year. 
A year later, the same nursery ran out again. Puzzled, he set out to 
investigate.
  After investigating, Vic realized that safety-net programs such as 
the food stamp program and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for 
Women, Infants and Children do not cover the cost of diapers. He also 
realized that low-income parents cannot take advantage of free or 
subsidized childcare if they cannot afford to leave diapers at 
childcare centers. This prevents parents from accessing daycare and 
prevents them from being able to work or attend school on a consistent 
basis.
  Vic began. to think about alternatives. What about cloth diapers? he 
thought. He soon realized, however, that most people living in poverty 
do not have access to washing facilities. Thus, they are unable to use 
cloth diapers for health and sanitary reasons.
  The more he learned, the more Vic realized how hard it can be for 
parents in need to put diapers on their children.
  In some Utah families, children suffer multiple days in the same 
diaper. Not only is this tremendously uncomfortable, it also puts the 
child at risk of serious illness and disease. In fact, according to one 
expert source, to prevent complications, it is recommended that parents 
change their newborn baby's diaper every 2 to 3 hours. That is 8 to 12 
diapers each day; and, at about 25 cents per diaper, a total of nearly 
100 dollars per month. But what if you can't afford that? The Utah 
Diaper Bank was created to address this problem directly.
  The Utah Diaper Bank serves the needs of infants and young children 
by overseeing an organized approach to collecting and distributing 
diapers to organizations and individuals who need them. The bank 
fulfills this mission by supporting diaper drives, collecting and 
stockpiling diapers, and then distributing diapers throughout the 
State. What began as a loosely connected group of friends operating out 
of their homes, now operates out of a warehouse and distributes 
hundreds of thousands of diapers annually.
  The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated demand for the services 
provided by the Utah Diaper Bank. In early 2020, the Utah Diaper Bank 
was shipping 50,000 diapers a month with a target of 500,000-750,000 
for the year. Then, once the pandemic had hit, they started shipping 
well over 100,000 per month. By the end of 2020, they had shipped over 
880,000. They have never seen demand for diapers like they are seeing 
now. Yet, they continue to succeed in fulfilling their mission.
  The most remarkable part of the operation of the Utah Diaper Bank is 
that they operate without any paid staff. Their team is made up 
entirely of volunteers. Further, they receive neither private nor 
government grants and operate on a strict collection-distribution 
model.
  The folks at the Utah Diaper Bank undeniably deserve recognition for 
their devout service to the people of Utah. It is my unique privilege 
to honor them today.

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