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Parents Still Need Diapers, Pads, & Tampons After Hurricane Harvey

by Kenza Moller

The eye of the storm may have passed, but for those displaced by Hurricane Harvey, trouble is far from over. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, over 30,000 people were displaced by the storm, and many of the families affected have ended up at emergency shelters. And while those shelters have been providing victims with much-needed essentials, displaced parents still need diapers, pads, and tampons after Harvey — items that are understandably not always at the top of aid groups' supply lists, but still just as necessary.

According to MLive, at least 100,000 diapers have already been shipped to Houston, but keeping up with the ongoing need has been difficult. Speaking to NPR earlier in the week, Jorge Medina, executive director of the Texas Diaper Bank, said:

It's not something that families, especially when they're coming to a shelter, that they pack up and bring with them. And then while they're at the shelter, whatever they did bring, they run out.

Pads and tampons are often similarly overlooked. The founder and executive director of the nonprofit Support Girls, Dana Marlowe, recently told Circa that her organization will likely donate a total of 70,000 feminine hygiene products throughout the course of the Hurricane Harvey relief effort.

Wondering how you can help out? Here's where you can send diapers, feminine hygiene products, or donations in order to support victims of the hurricane:

Where to Send Diapers

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The Texas Diaper Bank is collecting diapers (both adult and baby) to send out to affected victims. Currently, the diaper bank is accepting the following items:

  • Baby diapers (any brand and any size welcome, but no cloth diapers please)
  • Pull-ups
  • Adult diapers
  • Formula
  • Wipes
  • New or gently used baby items, including clothes, blankets, bottles, breast pumps, and toys

Open packs of diapers are welcome, as well. Just make sure the diapers aren't dirty, then place open packs in sealed plastic bags with sizing information on them.

Ship packages to:

The Texas Diaper Bank
5415 Bandera Road Suite 504
San Antonio, TX 78238

If you're not able to put together an actual physical package, never fear. The Texas Diaper Bank has an Amazon wishlist, so you can simply add some of the diapers (or other items) on their list to your cart and check out. The items will be sent to the Texas Diaper Bank.

Last but not least, you can also contribute monetary donations via the diaper bank's website, or if you're in San Antonio, donate your time by volunteering.

Where to Send Feminine Hygiene Products

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Help collect tampons and pads for Happy Period, an organization that distributes menstrual kits to women in need (in this case, those affected by Hurricane Harvey). They're currently collecting the following items:

  • Pads
  • Tampons
  • Panty-liners
  • Soap
  • Wipes
  • Unused underwear

They're okay with opened packaging, as well. You can ship items to:

829 W. Palmdale Blvd, Suite 35
Palmdale, CA 93552

You can donate directly to their Houston chapter, too, or purchase items from their Amazon wishlist in order to send the items most needed directly to Happy Period in Houston.

Another worthy organization is Support the Girls, a nonprofit that is currently collecting new or gently used bras and feminine hygiene products to distribute to evacuees in Houston. Send items to:

Support the Girls
c/o Grace Whitley
PO Box 581
Wylie, TX 75098

Monetary donations can also be sent to Support the Girls through their Crowdrise campaign.

With a little help from everyone, the public can make life a little bit easier for those displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Happy donating!