More than 23,000 diapers for families in need were collected at a local Kiwanis Club diaper drive last month.
The diaper drive was hosted by Division 32 of the Pacific Northwest District of Kiwanis. Operating as a service club during the pandemic has been challenging, said Kiwanis Club member Rita Ann Schwarting.
Matthew York, president of the Kent-AM Kiwanis Club, came up with the idea of a diaper drive. He challenged the six other clubs in Division 32 (now 28) to see how many diapers could be gathered to support local nonprofits.
The challenge was also extended to the Key Clubs that Kiwanis Clubs support in local high schools to see how many baby wipes they could gather.
The results are impressive, Schwarting said. A total of 23,392 diapers and 2,960 wipes were collected.
Among the organizations that received this bounty were Living Well Kent, The Kinship Program, Kent Covenant Church, the Auburn Food Bank, Vine Maple Place, Kent Food Bank, Vision House, Kent Youth & Family Services, Children’s Home Society, the Storehouse Food Bank, Maple Valley Food Band and Pregnancy Aide.
Division 32 has two clubs in Auburn, two clubs in Kent, one club in Federal Way, one in Covington and a club in Renton.
While the July event was a diaper drive, the Auburn Valley Club added a twist and made their event a Potty-Training Drive. Along with diapers they also collected three potty-training books and two toilet seats for kiddos.
For more information, visit kiwanis32.com/div-32-clubs/ or contact Rita Ann Schwarting at 1splendid.day@comcast.net or 206-718-0693.
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Kent-AM members Isiah Tate, Jim Schwarting, Char Grinolds and Shannon Madison with some of the 9,156 diapers their club collected and 1,132 baby wipes that the Kentridge High School Key Club collected.
