For most of us, changing bub is as simple as reaching for the wipes and nappy. But imagine being forced to line the nappy with paper to make it last longer, because you couldn’t buy any more.
For 150,000 Australian families, this is the reality of nappy stress.
Single parents being forced to choose between nappies and food. Or fleeing family violence with nothing more than the clothes on their backs. And that’s where the beautiful souls at The Nappy Collective step in.
Since 2013, The Nappy Collective has been supplying leftover, unused nappies to families in need. And they want your help.
The Nappy Collective story
The Nappy Collective wants to make sure every child in Australia has nappies. For a child to be happy and healthy, it all starts with meeting their basic needs. “The Nappy Collective started as a group of mums who found a handful of nappies that our toddlers did not fit into anymore,” The Nappy Collective’s Sharon Rayner told Mum’s Grapevine.
“After considering the options of what to do with only six nappies – pass them onto a friend? Keep them for the next child? Throw them out – what a waste! – we began to wonder if there were other parents out there that also had a handful or even half a box of nappies they were unable to use. What if we were able to collect all these leftover nappies and distribute them to families in crisis or in need? Collectively these handfuls of nappies could make a big difference.”
From that small seed of an idea has blossomed a national network of volunteers that has helped redistribute more than 4.2 million nappies to more than 140,000 babies and children. And now other mums are being urged to join the network.
How to become a Nappy Collective volunteer
The Nappy Collective has volunteers all over Australia, and they are the lifeblood of the organisation. There are volunteering opportunities available across Australia.
If you’re keen to help with logistics, Collective Leaders help recruit and lead The Nappy Collective Crew in their region. Or if you’d prefer to help at the grassroots level, Nappy Collective Crew members help sort, count and distribute nappies.
Find out how to volunteer via The Nappy Collective Volunteering Opportunities.
How to donate nappies to The Nappy Collective
The Nappy Collective collects nappies twice a year, in May and September.
The next collective is from 7 – 21 May, 2021.
If you have spare nappies to donate, head the Nappy Collective website and find your nearest collection point.
