WHY WE DO THIS
The Hunterdon Hygiene Connection is a partnership between the United Way of Hunterdon County and food pantries and agencies throughout the county.
Our goal is to help ease some of the financial stress our neighbors experience by providing free diapers and baby supplies (wipes, lotions), menstrual hygiene products, and incontinence products.
The Hunterdon Hygiene Connection strives to meet a critical community need, as the supplies we collect are not covered by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants and Children (WIC), or other federal programs.
The Program has seen a 25% increase in diaper requests and a 100% increase in incontinence requests from seniors. Over the last year, we regularly have needs that exceed the supply.
Menstrual Supplies
We are seeing an increased need to provide period products to individuals in our community who cannot afford or regularly access these supplies. This is also known as Period Poverty, and the results often lead to missed days of school and/or work.
Adult Incontinence Products
The monthly cost of adult incontinence products exceeds $300 per month, which is a high cost for adults with disabilities and our elderly neighbors. More than 2,000 senior households in Hunterdon County earn under $25,000 annually.
Infant Diapers
One in three families struggle to afford diapers for their infants and toddlers. It costs about $1,000 for a 1-year supply of diapers for one child. For someone who works full-time minimum wage or families with more than one child in diapers, this is a major expense.
