The Nappie Project was started by a retired social worker Jan Touslee and Loveland pediatrician Rachel Konda-Sundheim who have seen first-hand the struggles of many families to keep their children adequately supplied with diapers.
From the time they started volunteering at the Larimer County Food Bank in Loveland in 2014, Jan and her husband provided over 11,000 diapers to clients at the Food Bank in Loveland, which was not even close to meeting the need. Jan realized that a formal process would be needed to expand and sustain her beloved "Nappie Project". Late in November 2015 she met Rachel, a pediatrician who shared Jan's vision of bringing a diaper bank to Loveland. And so the journey began.......
According to the National Diaper Bank Network, low income families spend up to 20% of their monthly income on diapers. On average, diapers cost a family $70-80/month per child and 1 in 3 families have reported a diaper need. Sadly, it often boils down to diapers versus food. Neither Medicaid nor food stamps cover the cost of diapers.
The consequences of diaper shortages are medical, psychological and financial. If a parent lacks an adequate supply of diapers, children are left in wet and soiled diapers with resulting diaper rashes and infections. Most child care centers require parents to provide their own diapers; parents who cannot meet this requirement miss school and/or work, which perpetuates their negative financial spiral. And studies show that mothers equate not having enough diapers to not having enough food for their children, leading to a feeling of inadequacy as a parent and even depression.
Jan and Rachel started The Nappie Project to increase people’s awareness of the problem and bring about coordinated response to diaper need in northern Colorado. To maximize our efficiency, we initially focused on providing diapers to established agencies in Loveland and surrounding communities; today we have partner agencies in Loveland, Ft Collins and Berthoud. For our first year, our goal was to distribute 50,000 diapers and 336,000 wipes; two years in, we've distributed over 200,000 diapers!
From the time they started volunteering at the Larimer County Food Bank in Loveland in 2014, Jan and her husband provided over 11,000 diapers to clients at the Food Bank in Loveland, which was not even close to meeting the need. Jan realized that a formal process would be needed to expand and sustain her beloved "Nappie Project". Late in November 2015 she met Rachel, a pediatrician who shared Jan's vision of bringing a diaper bank to Loveland. And so the journey began.......
According to the National Diaper Bank Network, low income families spend up to 20% of their monthly income on diapers. On average, diapers cost a family $70-80/month per child and 1 in 3 families have reported a diaper need. Sadly, it often boils down to diapers versus food. Neither Medicaid nor food stamps cover the cost of diapers.
The consequences of diaper shortages are medical, psychological and financial. If a parent lacks an adequate supply of diapers, children are left in wet and soiled diapers with resulting diaper rashes and infections. Most child care centers require parents to provide their own diapers; parents who cannot meet this requirement miss school and/or work, which perpetuates their negative financial spiral. And studies show that mothers equate not having enough diapers to not having enough food for their children, leading to a feeling of inadequacy as a parent and even depression.
Jan and Rachel started The Nappie Project to increase people’s awareness of the problem and bring about coordinated response to diaper need in northern Colorado. To maximize our efficiency, we initially focused on providing diapers to established agencies in Loveland and surrounding communities; today we have partner agencies in Loveland, Ft Collins and Berthoud. For our first year, our goal was to distribute 50,000 diapers and 336,000 wipes; two years in, we've distributed over 200,000 diapers!
Mission Statement
The Nappie Project is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit dedicated to ensuring that children in Loveland, Ft. Collins and surrounding communities have an adequate supply of diapers to remain clean, dry and healthy. We are committed to raising awareness of diaper need and its impact on families.
The Nappie Project is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit dedicated to ensuring that children in Loveland, Ft. Collins and surrounding communities have an adequate supply of diapers to remain clean, dry and healthy. We are committed to raising awareness of diaper need and its impact on families.