Organization has new locations, partnerships
Josh Troy
The Press Register
Diaper Bank of the Delta, an organization with the goal of providing diapers and wipes for families that cannot afford them, celebrated its fourth anniversary Monday with an open house in its brand new location at Immaculate Conception Church on Ritchie Avenue.
The organization was originally called Coahoma County Diaper Bank and its first building was with Aaron E. Henry Community Health Services Center, Inc. on Evelyn Street. Diaper Bank of the Delta then used Mississippi Delta Farm Council’s facility before its recent move this week.
Chelesa Presley, executive director of Diaper Bank of the Delta, said the current building at uses at Immaculate Conception Church is three times the size of its first facility.
“We’re partnering with Spring Initiative and Immaculate Conception and St. Elizabeth Church,” Presley said. “This is their building.”
Spring Initiative is a local organization dedicated to helping young people in the Mississippi Delta beat the odds.
The new facility has a kitchen for Baby University, a program Spring Initiative received a grant for. Diaper Bank of the Delta provides a parenting class for them and a staff of about three cook for those parents every Monday and Tuesday night.
There is also a diaper bank storage room at the new facility, a childcare room for Baby University and Crossroads Café moved to the building, which means, once a week, families drop in drop for professional breast feeding help.
Transportation is also provided for parents unable to get to the diaper bank.
Presley also announced at the open house that, thanks to a grant, Diaper Bank of the Delta was able to hire apprentice Yvonne Kierra Riley. Riley was a participant of the Diaper Bank of the Delta program and has been an employee for a month.
Presley explained how Immaculate Conception Church benefited partnering with Diaper Bank of the Delta and Spring Initiative.
“They wanted some good on the grounds,” she said. “There was nothing going on, so they wanted an organization that would provide some type of service to the community.”
Diaper Bank of the Delta has increased its services since beginning in February 2015.
“In the last four years, we have expanded on the number of diapers we have given out,” Presley said. “We went up from 20,000 diapers year to 75,000 diapers a year.”
Presley said the feminine hygiene program called “It’s That Time Girl” that gives out pads, liners and tampons was added after the beginning of Diaper Bank of the Delta.
She also said Diaper Bank of the Delta began serving families throughout North Mississippi during natural disasters.
“We’re currently serving 13 counties and we’re looking to expand to maybe serve every county north of I-20 (Interstate 20),” Presley said. “We’re focused on north Mississippi, but I am looking at doing the Arkansas Delta region. They’re so close and there’s no one serving them currently.”
Presley said families from across the river in Arkansas do come to Diaper Bank of the Delta. However, she hopes to reach out to those families in the future.
Diaper Bank of the Delta is still open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Its new phone number is 662-351-3844.
“Diaper need is still an issue in our community,” Presley said. “We’re asking people who come in to see. This building that we’re in hasn’t been used in 25 years.”
Diaper Bank of the Delta also gives out shoes, wipes, clothes, books, car seats, breast feeding services and any other items dealing with babies. She reflected on the need she saw to help families who could not afford diapers four years ago.
“I was a community health worker,” Presley said. “I was going into the home visiting with families and one of the needs I saw that wasn’t being addressed was diapers and wipes. You can food with SNAP. You can get food and other type of items also with the WIC program. Diapers was a program that was not covered under any federal program.”
