Thanksgiving Diaper Day Highlights & Why Demand for Diaper Assistance Is Surging in Houston

This Thanksgiving, the Houston Lone Star Diaper Bank welcomed nearly 500 community members at our Diaper Day event — one of our largest turnouts to date. Thanks to the generosity of donors and supporters, we were able to prepare and distribute 52 essential care kits to local families. The total donation across these kits includes:

• 1,300 diapers

• 3,804 baby wipes

• 416 period products

• 260 PPE face masks

• 24 newborn & postpartum essentials

These numbers may seem small at first glance, but for the families who received support, they represent dignity, relief, and a little extra breathing room during a very difficult time.

However, for every family we were able to assist, many more arrived seeking help — and this mirrors what we are seeing across Houston: demand for diaper assistance is rising faster than ever before.

Why the Surge? Understanding the Growing Need for diapers

1. SNAP and WIC: Increasing Pressure on Families

SNAP (food stamps) and WIC benefits have always excluded diapers from allowable purchases. Families relying on these programs have never been able to use them for diapers, wipes, or period products — but the strain these programs were meant to ease has grown.

Recent adjustments to SNAP benefits, inflation, and the rising cost of groceries mean families have less “stretch” in their monthly budget. When families must spend more on food, utilities, and rent, the already impossible cost of diapers becomes even more out of reach.

A newborn can use 8–12 diapers per day. That’s up to 360 diapers a month, costing anywhere from $80–$120 depending on the brand and size. For many families, that’s simply not possible.

2. Inflation & Cost of Living

Houston families continue to feel the effects of inflation. Essentials like formula, produce, rent, and fuel have all increased — but wages have not kept pace.

When the basics get more expensive, diapers become one of the first things families struggle to afford. We hear from parents every week who are choosing between paying a bill and buying diapers.

3. New Families Asking for Help

We are seeing a significant increase in assistance requests from families who have never needed support before. These are working parents with one or even two jobs who still cannot keep up with rising costs. When parents reach out saying they are “embarrassed to ask,” we remind them: there is no shame in needing help.

4. Population Growth & Limited Supply

Houston’s population continues to grow rapidly, but diaper donations are not increasing at the same pace. This creates a gap between community need and the supplies we are able to distribute.

This Thanksgiving event was a clear example: nearly 500 people attended, but we could only give out what was donated to the HSLDB which is not enough to meet demand.

How You Can Help: Our Giving Tree Initiative

As we enter the holiday season, our Giving Tree Initiative is now live. This is our biggest annual drive to collect:

• Diapers

• Baby wipes

• Period products

• Postpartum essentials

• Monetary donations that allow us to purchase items in bulk

And one of the most powerful ways you can help? Sharing our mission.

More awareness → more donations → more diapers for families who need them most.

Whether you donate, share, or tell a friend, every action helps a Houston family stay clean, dry, and cared for.

Looking Ahead

We know that many families left our Thanksgiving event without receiving items, and we understand how difficult that can be. Please know we are working hard to host another distribution event in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to our email updates and social media — details will be released soon.

From all of us at the Houston Lone Star Diaper Bank, thank you for standing with us, believing in our mission, and helping us keep Houston’s babies clean, healthy, and safe.

Texans helping Texans — now and always.