The Community Pantry at Discoveries: the Library at the Mall has been very busy since it opened on July 17. We've distributed basic baby and women's supplies to more than 200 families from 22 different zipcodes in Maryland (and one from DC)!
It is clear that there is great need for the items we provide, and we are happy to add pantry distribution to the services at our location inside the Westfield Annapolis Mall. We’ve also been able to offer library cards, storytime that coincides with Saturday morning pantry distribution and other resources like vaccination appointments with Centro de Ayuda for those utilizing the pantry.
The week of September 27 through October 3 is National Diaper Needs Awareness Week.
Did you know that a family with a newborn spends $1000 or more a year just on diapers? Or that nationally, 57% of families that rely on childcare have had to miss multiple days of work staying home with their child because they haven’t been able to provide diapers to their care provider? Diapers cannot be purchased using SNAP benefits, so many families are left to make hard decisions regarding these purchases. This is where community support is so important. We can contribute to meeting people’s basic needs, so that their children are ready to learn and parents are ready to work.
During Diaper Needs Awareness Week, all 16 branches of Anne Arundel County Public Library will be collecting supplies to support The Community Pantry at Discoveries.
We accept the following items as donations:
- diapers & pull-ups of any size (opened packages ok!)
- wipes
- unopened, unexpired formula
- diaper cream & baby lotion
- nursing supplies like nursing pads & nipple cream
- new bottles & pacifers
- toothbrushes & toothpaste
- children's shampoo & soap
- pads & tampons
- incontinence supplies
If you don’t need help right now, please consider helping those in your community who need the extra support. If you could use some of the supplies offered by the pantry, please come to our weekly distribution on Saturday mornings from 10 am to noon at Discoveries: The Library at the Mall. No ID is required.