Earlier this month, Dr. Susanna Goggin and the entire Asheville Periodontics spent the day volunteering with Babies Need Bottoms, a local diaper bank serving families in need across Western North Carolina.
The Asheville Periodontics team hand-wrapped packs of donated diapers to be distributed to community partners across 5 counties in western North Carolina. Dr. Goggin loves to lead her talented team in community projects multiple times a year.
According to Babies Need Bottoms:
“Many factors affect diaper need in Asheville including high cost of living, limited employment opportunities, expensive retail cost of diapers, and significant poverty. If parents don’t have access to clean diapers, there are no options – no government funding, nowhere to turn. Lack of clean diapers affects more than a child’s health; it affects parental stress and the ability to attend daycare.”
But the need extends well beyond the Asheville area. In WNC:
- 46% of children in Buncombe County live in poor or low-income homes
- 51% of households with children in Haywood County receive food stamps
- 44% of households with children in Henderson County receive food stamps
- 46% of households with children in Madison County receive food stamps
- 58% of households with children in Transylvania County receive food stamps
With 15 partners spanning 5 counties, including Helpmate, Steadfast House, Buncombe County Social Work Services, The Children & Family Resource Center and YWCA of Asheville, Babies Need Bottoms estimates they deliver 5,000 diapers every 6-8 weeks!