Newberg business Krohn’s Appliance’s eighth annual disposable diaper drive is back {span}—{/span} and with a lofty goal of accumulating 50,000 diapers for local families through January.
But with a mere 6,000 donations so far, and the month more than halfway over, “Diaper King” Brian Love and “Diaper Princess” Kody Reese said they are “in dire need” of the community’s help to break the previous record of 40,000 diapers.
Records aside, many parents depend on donations from diaper drives like these. In the United States, one in three families cannot afford diapers, and the pandemic has only perpetuated the problem. Yamhill County is no exception.
A Family Place, the local nonprofit that collects and distributes the diaper drive’s bounty every year, burns through around 60,000 diapers annually.
“Anyone who has kids knows how expensive it is,” Joi Bailey, the organization’s community engagement manager, said. “When a family can’t afford to keep kids dry, it’s stressful for the baby and the family.”
That is why Love, owner of Krohn’s Appliance, started his now-famous diaper drive.
“There was a family where they couldn’t afford very much, and their child had to be in a diaper {span}—{/span} one diaper {span}—{/span} all day long because it was a choice between food and diapers, and they had to choose food,” he said in a video on social media. “That day is the day we started this diaper drive and I will to this day say that’s the most emotional story I’ve ever heard because it’s heart-wrenching to know a child has to suffer like that and it’s only because their parents don’t have the money to do it.”
In eight years, Love, with the help of the public, has donated more than 170,000 diapers to A Family Place.
“It’s a thing the whole community has to help with,” Reese said.
Reese, Love’s 11-year-old granddaughter, is a huge proponent of the diaper drive {span}—{/span} hence the nickname. For the past five birthdays, as well as last Christmas, she’s requested diapers as gifts. Between those two days, Reese contributed 988 diapers to last year’s record-setting grand total of 40,000 diapers.
“It tugs at your heartstrings that your granddaughter is following in your footsteps,” Love said.
In previous years, 15,000 to 20,000 diapers would have been deposited at Krohn’s by mid-January. In hopes of boosting donations, Love has added additional drop off locations, including Newberg Ace Hardware, Carquest Auto Parts – Mac Auto Supply in McMinnville, Marvin Pierce Dog Teacher in Sherwood, Yamhill Carlton Intermediate School and Faulconer-Chapman School in Sheridan. Newberg Ace Hardware is also accepting donations when customers check out.
“You can donate them (diapers) separately, you can donate them fresh out of the box, you can just donate extra diapers that your kid might have grown out of,” Reese said. “They don’t even need to be packaged as long as they’re in a bag or something, and we’ll count them.”
Diapers can also be purchased online through Krohn’s Amazon Wish List at bit.ly/3XG4xJh or via a favorite retailer and shipped to Krohn’s Appliance, 2207C Portland Road, Newberg, OR 97132.
While online donations are open until the end of the month, Krohn’s is holding its annual Fill the Truck Drive Thru Diaper Drive from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 28 in front of the store, during which Love’s family and staff will haul the diapers already in their possession to a storage facility for future use.
