Inside an East Redmond warehouse, more than 346,000 diapers wait to be distributed to families in need.
Melissa Lovemark opens a box to fill an order. Lovemark, executive director Every Child Central Oregon and the new diaper bank called Marked for Love, is no newbie to helping children and families in Central Oregon.
Launched in 2019, Every Child Oregon is a nonprofit with a goal to strengthen the child welfare system and ensure children are safe and families have the right resources for their children to succeed. They provide diapers, clothes, hygiene, safety equipment and gifts for youth in foster care.
The organization gave about 60,000 diapers each of the last few years and Lovemark had nonprofits reach out to her about getting more of them. That led the organization to create a diaper bank where nonprofits and other agencies can access diapers for clients who need them in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.
“There’s no social service safety nets that provide diapers,” Lovemark said.
In the state of Oregon, diapers cannot be purchased with SNAP, EBT or WIC cards. Most daycares also require parents to provide their own diapers for their children while at day care. Costs can add up very quickly. Some families stay home from work because they can’t afford the diapers required to take their kids to day care, said Lovemark.
The diaper bank is available for agencies who serve clients under or near the federal poverty line, as well as children in Head Start.
“We’re not like a food bank in the sense that clients needing diapers or people in the community needing diapers can come directly to us,” Lovemark said. “We are going to point them back to the partner agencies that are already set up to serve them and serve them well.”
Most were distributed through Baby2Baby, a nationwide nonprofit that provides diapers to diaper banks across the country. Many were donated by the Honest Company. which donates a portion of its proceeds to purchase diapers to families who cannot afford them.
Lovemark requested 15 pallets and Baby2Baby sent the team 35, each holding 60,000 diapers. Other diapers were bought at a significant discount through the National Diaper Bank. Lovemark said providing the basics is critical for families on the edge.
“We provide tangible items,” she said. “We provide community and rallying and support around those families.”
The work starts with a request on their website by a caseworker, foster parent, Court Advocated Special Advocate or other social service agency. Lovemark and her team package the requests and workers can pick it up from the warehouse, or it can be dropped off.
According to Lovemark, Every Child has seen a 30% increase in diaper requests from 2024. Around 60% of requests are for clothes, but they also see requests for car seats, educational toys, hygiene products and diapers.
Every Child also has a program that pairs volunteers and supports a local foster parent for six months. They provide two meals a month for the foster parents and one act of kindness a month, like an Easter egg hunt or a coffee run.
“Over and over again it has proven to be just something that people need,” Lovemark said. “We need community.”
Jazlyn Lepez, current warehouse coordinator, is grateful for the nonprofit and the resources it has. She knows how free meals, access to clothes, carseats and toys can help families. As a five-year foster parent herself, Lepez has used the resources it provides.
“It’s a lifeline for them,” Lepez said. “Having a place like here is really helpful because we do have many programs that really help support foster families and really encourage them to have a community and be able to get the resources they need.”
Community members can volunteer, tour the warehouse and create clothing bundles for kids.
“It’s really about making an impact that is hopefully going to raise people out of poverty and even just a small way,” Lovemark said.
Sophie Fowler 