ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — The Junior League of Rochester Diaper Bank is on location at the Genesee Regional Bank on Thursday, November 16 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

Leah LaClair serves on the board of The Junior League of Rochester(JLR). She says 1 in 2 Rochester families struggles with paying for diapers.

“If you’re a parent and you have the option to go back to work to support your family you absolutely want to have the opportunity to do that unfortunately the way that’s situated if you don’t have the diapers available then you can’t send your child to daycare,” LeClair explains.

Most childcare facilities require parents to provide a set amount of diapers when they send their child to daycare. If a family doesn’t have the money to buy diapers which can cost about $100 a month it can impact a child’s health, create parental stress, and prevent a child from participating in activities outside the home.

In 2017, The Junior League of Rochester saw the need and created a diaper bank. Today the charitable organization of women distributes an average of 25,000 diapers each month.

“We are a smaller organization. We have 70 active members so programs like this are a way we can make an impact”, said LeClairn adding that it’s the only diaper bank in Monroe County. “We do fundraise, we apply for grants and things like that. Those dollars go directly to the purchase of our diapers and wipes and those costs have increased for us about 35% over the last two years. If I think about those numbers I can only imagine what that means for a family who is buying diapers at the store for those costs as well.”

The JLR distributes the diapers to 40 partner agencies such as Catholic Charities Family and Community Services. They also hold drive-thru diaper donations in the community several times a year.

The Junior League will partner with Genesee Regional Bank at 1850 South Winton Road for a free diaper drive-thru. LeClair says no pre-registration is required. Each family gets two packs of diapers per child. The sizes range from newborn through toddler and will be available on a first-come basis.

To learn more about the Junior League or Rochester Diaper Bank or to make a donation visit jlroch.org/diaper-bank.