The heart of our work at Ontario Cares is addressing critical gaps in the community, which includes ensuring that families have much-needed hygiene products, like diapers.

Through a partnership with Food Link and Ontario County Public Health, Ontario Cares was able to order 321 cases of diapers in sizes 2 through 7 for distribution to 11 Ontario County agencies that serve families with young children.

Why Diapers?

The initiative came about after Ontario County Public Health identified a critical gap in local resources. Evidence shows that when families have access to free or reduced-cost diapers, parents are less likely to miss work, since daycares require families to provide diapers for their children. Additionally, child abuse rates go down and infection rates decrease when babies are changed consistently.

The Partnership That Made It Possible

Ontario Cares partnered with Foodlink to access diapers at a low cost through a portion of their shopping list. “With financial support from the Canandaigua Rotary and Ontario Children’s Foundation we have the ‘seed money needed to leverage our partnership with Foodlink and expand access to this resource for families,” said Karen Guidarelli, program coordinator for the Ontario Cares Community Support Center.

The initial order came at no cost to us, thanks to an emergency fund grant through Foodlink, which allowed us to use available funds for supplies and the rental of a van to transport and store what couldn’t be picked up on delivery day. It was a win for our organization, a win for our partners, and most importantly, a win for families.

None of this would have been possible without the collaboration of Ontario County Public Health, Foodlink, the Canandaigua Rotary, and the Ontario Children’s Foundation. Together, we were able to get diapers into the hands of families who need them most, giving them one less expense to worry about.