Skip to content

Surrey Women’s Centre campaign needs diapers to help low-income moms

It’s called the #DiaperCampaign.
7895871_web1_thumbnail_SWC-Diaper-Campaign-2017-1
Chantal Katuski and her 18-month-old daughter, Skye. (Photo: submitted/Liz Dungate)

Diapers. Parents gotta have them, babies need them, and they don’t come cheap.

Nobody knows that better than low-income families. So Surrey Women’s Centre is therefore collecting diaper donations — not the smelly kind, but of course new unopened packages of diapers — from Aug. 1 to 18 with the aim of giving more than 400 local moms help.

It’s called the #DiaperCampaign.

Donors can drop off new, unopened packages of diapers at Surrey Women’s Centre, at 10075 Whalley Blvd., between 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.

Or they can share the #DiaperCampaign on social media through Surrey Women’s Centre Facebook Post (facebook.com/SurreyWomensCentre) and for every five shares, Shoppers Drug Mart will donate a box of diapers to moms in need.

“We are the only women’s centre in Surrey,” noted Eugenia Fasciani, community engagement assistant at SWC, and “are often the first and sometimes the only place women and girls call for help.

“Sometimes they have a tough decision to make – do they buy food or diapers for their babies?”

Chantal Katuski is a single mom who can’t always afford to buy diapers for her 18-month-old daughter, Skye. So what does she do?

“I sacrifice my food for Skye,” she explained. “I’d rather have her eat and have diapers than me eat for a whole day. It’s hard, I’m struggling, but better me struggle through life than have nothing at all.”

Amanda Osterman, community engagement co-ordinator for Surrey Women’s Centre, notes that diapers are unfortunately quite expensive.

“From what I’ve found and what I’ve heard, the cheapest for a month’s supply is like $40, and that can be a lot, especially for a single mom,” Osterman said.

Though the campaign “technically” did not launch until Aug. 1, Osterman said, the response prior to that date was “really great.

“We’ve already had a lot of shares, I’ve already had a few calls from people wanting to donate. It’s actually been really good.”

In 2015 the centre and Shoppers Drug Mart staged a similar campaign and with donators’ help provided more that 200 moms with diapers.

“We would obviously love to help 400, that would be great,” Osterman said.

tom.zytaruk@ surreynowleader.com



About the Author: Tom Zytaruk

I write unvarnished opinion columns and unbiased news reports for the Surrey Now-Leader.
Read more