Pictured is the historic First Baptist Church of Owego located at 228 Main St., and The Spot, located next door to the church. A new outreach program coordinated by church members, the KIND project, “Kids in Need of Diapers,” is focused on providing diapers and related supplies to families in need, and part of a growing network in the U.S. KIND project members are seeking help from individuals, churches, community groups and businesses throughout Tioga County to partner with them in this effort. The first distribution is scheduled on April 30 from 9 to 11 a.m. at The Spot. (Photos by JoAnn R. Walter)
Pictured from Evergreen Cemetery is the historic First Baptist Church of Owego, located at 228 Main St., and The Spot, located next door to the church. A new outreach program coordinated by church members, the KIND project, “Kids in Need of Diapers,” is focused on providing diapers and related supplies to families in need, and part of a growing network in the U.S. For information, find the First Baptist Church of Owego on Facebook, visit their website at http://www.fbcowego.org, call the church office at (607) 687-4394, or call Kandi Saxton at (607) 687-2179 and leave a message.
Members of the congregation of the historic First Baptist Church of Owego (FBC-O), located at 228 Main St. in Owego, N.Y., announce their new outreach program, the KIND project. The KIND project, “Kids In Need of Diapers,” is focused on providing diapers and related supplies to families in need.
Kandi Saxton, chairperson of the Board of Christian Education at FBC-O commented, “We have always been a mission-minded congregation. We have made great progress since the flood of 2011, and God has placed in our hearts this new mission.”
The First Baptist Church of Owego experienced extraordinary damage during the flood of 2011 and celebrated the return to their sanctuary in November 2015.
Saxton explained that the need for diapers is a crisis in the United States, and in her professional role as a Tioga County case worker, she knows first-hand the need in our area. Federal assistance is not available to help families purchase diapers, such as SNAP or WIC, and other community resources are limited. Oftentimes, families are left to choose whether to buy diapers or groceries.
Saxton also explained that children suffer when their diapers are not changed regularly, placing them at risk for diaper rash, which can become severe. In turn, both parents and children can experience stress when they cannot find a community resource to help them in their time of need.
The diaper crisis has made national headlines, including attention from the White House, which launched the “Community Diaper Program” in March 2016, calling upon the private sector to team up with the non-profit community to address the situation.
According to whitehouse.gov and the #DiaperGap initiative, “Nearly one in three American families struggle to afford enough diapers, which in turn can lead to serious health problems for both babies and parents.”
One non-profit, The National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN), operates over 280 diaper banks nationwide in 45 states and teamed up with Kimberly-Clark, the maker of Huggies, five years ago. The NDBN works to meet the basic needs of American children and their families.
The NDBN organization states on their website, nationaldiaperbanknetwork.org, “Our mission is to raise awareness of diaper need, strengthen community-based diaper banks, and generate donations of dollars and diapers, so that all babies remain clean, dry and healthy.”
The FBC-O KIND project recently joined the NDBN. Comprising of upwards of twenty volunteers to start, the FBC-O is reaching out to all Tioga County residents, churches, community groups and businesses to partner with them in an effort to meet the needs of children and families in the county.
Saxton commented, “FBC-O cannot do this alone, we welcome all who can help. Sometimes it takes a whole village to raise a child, and we are committed to making a difference.”
Saxton explained that FBC-O researched details about starting up the KIND project following the success of a similar program run by the First Baptist Church in Norwich, N.Y.
The FBC-O KIND project will distribute their first diaper donations at “The Spot,” located next door to the church, on April 30 from 9 to 11 a.m. The group will announce future dates, most likely scheduled at the end of each month.
Saxton shared, “This project was meant to be, and we hope others will partner with us to make this wonderful for all of the families in need.”
For information about FBC-O, find them on Facebook, visit their website, http://www.fbcowego.org or call the church office at (607) 687-4394. Callers can also contact Kandi Saxton and leave a message at (607) 687-2179.
