Sociology & Anthropology Department Holds Annual Diaper Drive

     Topeka, Kan. – Washburn University students in the upper-division sociology course “Social Class in the U.S.” are turning learning into action this semester with a community-wide diaper drive supporting local families. Partnering with Topeka nonprofit Community Action Inc.’s Diaper Depot program, the initiative invites both the Washburn community and the public to make a meaningful impact—one essential donation at a time.

     Students will staff a table on the main level in the Memorial Union on the Washburn campus from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, Monday, March 30, through Friday, April 3, to collect diapers and monetary donations while raising awareness about a critical need for families living at or below the poverty line — affording enough diapers to keep their children clean, dry and healthy. A collection box for diapers will also be located at the front entrance of University Libraries on the second floor in the Plass Learning Resources Center. A GoFundMe page has been established for monetary donations at gofund.me/b73a77425.

     “Students who take this course each spring semester learn about the impact of social class on everyday lives and then implement what they have learned through meaningful action supporting those affected by economic inequality in the community,” said Dr. Sangyoub Park, associate professor, sociology & anthropology department, Washburn University. “For seven years, students have chosen to hold a diaper drive to help alleviate the effects of an often overlooked need for families in the Topeka area.”

     Since 1970, Community Action Inc. has worked to help individuals and families across 12 Kansas counties move from poverty toward prosperity through various programs and services, including Diaper Depot. The organization reports that 1 in 2 families in the U.S. cannot afford diapers, and 3 in 5 parents miss work or school because they cannot provide the diapers required for child care services. In its last fiscal year, Community Action Inc. helped 156 households and 177 children ages birth – 3 years, distributing 36,200 diapers and 1,500 emergency diapers through the Diaper Depot program. For more information, visit wefightpoverty.org.

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For further information, contact:
Lacey Kinder
Content Specialist
Telephone: (785) 670-2154
Cell: (785) 845-1909
Email: lacey.kinder@washburn.edu