Diaper and Formula Donations Provide Critical Support for Families During 42 Day Shutdown
As the government shutdown stretched from days to weeks, we became increasingly concerned about the impact on families across Western Washington, and launched diaper and formula drives at local Fred Meyer and QFC stores, as well as a virtual drive. With the help of volunteers and community, we collected hundreds of packages of formula and diapers to provide urgent support to families with young children.
Kristin Haustveit, Major Gifts Officer at Food Lifeline and a new Mom, was heartbroken at the thought of mothers standing in a grocery store aisle trying to decide if they had money to buy formula and the other food items they need for their family. Seeing a post from the organic infant formula company Bobbie that she used for her own son, she reached out to see if they could provide any help.
“My hope was simple: to strike up a partnership with them so Food Lifeline could provide more cans of formula to our agency partners,” said Kristin. “If we could do this and ease even a tiny bit that worry for local families by helping them stretch their already thin wallets, I could imagine it making a world of difference.”
Bobbie donated 600 cans of infant formula, and had them delivered to our warehouse within days.
35 of those cans made their way to the White Center Food Bank, where they were shelved in their baby section, ready to be distributed to families in the community, many of whom are still grappling with the after effects of stalled SNAP benefits, on top of already high living costs.
“As our customers continue to navigate the impacts of the government shutdown and temporary suspension of SNAP benefits, donations like this help families make sure our youngest customers have their nutritional needs met. We truly appreciate the support.”
– Jefferson Rose, Development and Communications Director, White Center Food Bank
Though diapers and formula are not always top of mind when people think about food bank donations, these are critical and costly necessities for young children. Food insecurity and diaper insecurity are also closely linked. 1 in 4 families experiencing diaper insecurity have skipped meals so that they could buy diapers. And nearly 50% of diaper banks reported an increase in families seeking assistance during the government shutdown, as revealed by National Diaper Bank Network’s November 2025 Government Shutdown Survey.
We’re grateful to all of our community members who stepped up to volunteer and donate to the diaper drives, and to Bobbie for their generous donation. Your support provided crucial necessities for young families and peace of mind in the midst of a period of uncertainty.
