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WHEREAS, 5.9 million babies in the U.S., ages three or younger, live in poor or low-income families, with one in three mothers unable to provide their children the basic essentials for their health and hygiene needs, like a clean, dry diaper; and,
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WHEREAS, disposable diapers cost up to $150 per month per baby with no government assistance and parents cannot take children to day care without diapers, preventing them from working or attending school; and,
WHEREAS, the non-profit Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank, established in 2012 and based in Pittsburgh’s East End, is currently the only local organization that has addressed this need as its sole purpose and is the only diaper bank in the state west of Harrisburg; and,
WHEREAS, for over six years, the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank, in following its mission to help ensure that babies in need are clean, healthy and dry, has distributed more than one million diapers to low-income or families with incomes below the federal poverty level in Western Pennsylvania through a network of 24 social service agency partners; and,
WHEREAS, the Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank now also provides period supplies to women in need through those agencies as part of the National Alliance for Period Supplies, supporting women’s health and enabling them to go to work and school to break the cycle of poverty; and,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend The Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank for their vision of communities where all families have an equal opportunity to thrive; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare the week of September 24-30, 2020, to be “National Diaper Need Awareness Week” in the City of Pittsburgh.