Updated 2/15/11: Count is up to 7,000 diapers!
Last week we received an unexpected email from Bay Area mom Allie, who has a beautiful baby boy named Max. To commemorate Max’s very first Valentines Day, she decided to hold a small diaper drive to benefit HAMO, to some AMAZING results. Together with her friends, family, and community of parents – Baby Max’s diaper drive ended up raising nearly 6,000 diapers, plus thousands of baby wipes! We’ll report back on the official diaper count once the diapers stop coming in!
I hope you all will be as awed and inspired as I am by this great act of motherly love from Allie, who wanted to honor her own baby by giving back to other babies who would otherwise go without.
Here is portion of the letter Allie sent to her network:
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Shortly after Max was born last April I heard a story about women who could not afford to change their babies diapers throughout the day… and my heart broke at the thought of a baby or child not being able to have one of their simplest needs met. This sad story has stuck with me through the hundreds of diaper changes we have gone through in this first year of Max’s life.
As a tiny act of love in honor of Max’s first Valentine’s Day, I have decided to do a diaper drive. I am collecting diapers and baby wipes to donate to women and families in need. I would be incredibly grateful if you would consider helping me in my tiny act of Valentine’s Day love by donating diapers and/or wipes. If you live in the San Jose area Max and I would be happy to swing by and pick up the diapers from you. If you are further away we have a few ideas of how you can participate…
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From Allie:
I passed out letters in my neighborhood, sent emails to family and friends, messaged all of my Facebook friends and posted messages to the Las Madres boards. The Las Madres Moms were INCREDIBLE with their donations. One group even had a “diaper play date” and then dropped off a donation at my house afterwards! Friends and family from afar sent eGift cards to amazon.comand diapers.com or mailed checks to help support the drive.
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We’d like to send our HEARTFELT gratitude to Allie’s family, and each and every person who contributed to Baby Max’s Diaper Drive. There are so many babies who will be directly helped by YOUR efforts and it is drives like these that are the backbone of the support we need to continue to provide critically needed diapers. THANK YOU for helping us keep children healthy and making a big difference.
And… Happy Valentine’s Day <3 !!
Photo credit (Blocks) via Creative Commons 2.0: Shagamaroo
Photo credit (Max) courtesy of Allie