Destiny Diaper Bank expands in North Fort Myers
The only Diaper Bank in the state of Florida – based in Cape Coral – has recently expanded service to the North Fort Myers area.
The Destiny Diaper Bank is a non-profit 501(c)3 that provides infants, toddlers, disabled teens, special needs children and the elderly with diapers and incontinent supplies, which are often too expensive for individuals or families to purchase on their own.
With the jobless rate so high and no source of supplies from most federal programs, the need is great throughout Lee County, said founder the Rev. Rebecca G. Hines.
“We want to get the message out there that Medicaid and Medicare, food stamps and WIC do not provide diapers for our most fragile and vulnerable populations.”
They receive between 40 and 50 calls a day from people who need diapers, some days up to 60. “During the holidays we gave out about 35,000 diapers,” said Hines. “We get the donations anywhere we can; we’re not government funded or backed by any particular organization.”
She’s been a Cape Coral resident since 1978, and set up her charity there.
Everything changed, she said, when she learned there was basically no one out there doing this, and how great the need.
She contacted the first Diaper Bank in the United States in Phoenix, Arizona. “To this day we’re joined at the hip.”
In September she actually met with 15 other U.S. banks from across the U.S. and had a summit. “We’re there to help each other. It’s pioneering, like the early days of food banks. Our goal is to establish diaper banks throughout the state of Florida. We have very strong connections in Collier County; we’re currently looking for a distribution site there to start.”
In North Fort Myers, several businesses are helping with the cause.
“I give them a free unit so they can have things dropped off or to pick up,” said Joe Gibbs, manager of Quality Self Storage. “It’s very important, it just stops abuse. And there are so many elderly people that need diapers. I learned that from Rebecca.”
His business will host an event for the bank in April.
“Our first large event will be April 24, held at Quality Self Storage on Hancock Bridge Parkway. We’re going to have a Baby Diaper Derby, vendors and a Daddy Diaper Changing Derby,” said Hines. “We’re looking for top media daddies now to race against the clock to change diapers.
“We also have a church we’ve recently connected with, Community of Christ Church in North Fort Myers,” Hines said.
Drop off sites are at several places in North Fort Myers.
If you need diapers, you need to call the bank directly. If you want to donate diapers in North Fort Myers, there are several drop-off points at local businesses. They include Graphic Signs Solutions located at their new location at 960 Pondella Rd., Brightway Insurance located at 5660 Bayshore Rd. #45 in Foxmoor Plaza and Quality Self Storage at 4150 Hancock Bridge Pkwy.
“I feel that it’s a very important part of a families life. A mother is concerned more about their children and talking care of their children’s needs and this helps taking away their stress,” said Sherry Collier, owner of Brightway Insurance, another local donor.
Other donors have stepped up.
“Recently we were given a warehouse by a very generous donor, Bob Simpson, he runs LeeSar,” said Hines. “They are distributors of medical supplies for Lee Memorial Health System and Sarasota Health System. That warehouse is 3,000 square foot of his space – state-of-the-art. Because of that space we’ve also gotten Pedialyte we also distribute, also with Ensure, Pediasure, and body lotions for dry skin conditions.”
Staff is a volunteer base at the Cape Coral location. The staff is Hines and her husband and other volunteers. “We are really in need of volunteers,” she added.
To get diapers, there is some paperwork. “Their qualification is that they have to be on Medicaid, for children, a disabled adult or elderly or WIC (Women’s Infant Children Program.) It’s a program that subsidizes infants and toddlers with food. They have to show us their WIC card that they qualify as low-income family. They can get it from the WIC office in Fort Myers.”
They also have to show proof of a local address with photo ID.
The diaper bank serves all of Lee County.
In North Fort Myers, a grateful mom and grandmother talked about how much the bank has helped her.
Jackie M. from North Fort Myers who would prefer her last name and house number be excluded from an interview, talked about the help she received from the bank.
She’s experienced repeat hard times.
First, she moved here from the Hurricane Katrina disaster, looking for a better life.
Other circumstances prevailed.
“I’ve been in the hospital seven times in six months,” she said.
She had a steady job but then health problems affected the whole family.
In her household, three people have medical issues, along with grandchildren who need diapers.
“It’s been a godsend,” she said, of the Destiny Diaper reach out to North Fort Myers.
She’s also gotten help from Cape Coral Assembly of God Church, and specifically from volunteer Daramiss Calcano.
“We deliver to the homebound, who may have no vehicle,” said Calcano. “We learned about them through Destiny Diaper Bank.”
For the work that Destiny Diaper Bank will continue in the area, said Hines, mark your calendar for the Woman’s Life of SWFL and Bridge Networking Group fund raiser for Destiny Diaper Bank scheduled for Thursday, March 25, from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
It will be held at Bianca’s Restaurant Italiano & Pizzeria, 16251 N. Cleveland Ave.
The cost is $20 per person, and information can be attained trough 225-5019.