Miracle Babies, a non-profit organization whose mission is to unite families with their critically ill newborn babies in neonatal intensive care units, is hosting drive-through diaper distributions at National City Library on Feb. 13 and March 13.
Free diapers will be available to families on a first-come, first-registration basis and will be loaded directly into vehicles at the distribution events for a no-contact experience.
Registration for both distribution events closes at noon on the day before each event.
Diapers will be distributed to registered attendees at both events while supplies last.
Miracle Babies Executive Director Marianela Camarillo said the diaper gap before the COVID-19 pandemic— what the average family in San Diego county cannot afford in diapers after all other expenses are paid— was about 30 diapers per household, per month.
“Diapers cost $60 to $90 per month, per child and compounded with other expenses and the furloughs, reduction in hours, job terminations, families, especially those with parents that are frontline, essential workers are really struggling,” Camarillo said.
Adding a fun touch to the February event, Healing Little Heroes Foundation founder Justin Wu recruited members of the San Diego Sci-Fi Coalition and the San Diego Star Wars Society to dress up as Marvel and DC Comics Superheroes, Star Wars characters, or Transformers to entertain families as they remain in their cars and drive through the site.
Camarillo said Wu has been providing entertainment so the events are “fun and uplifting for participants and volunteers” since they began hosting diaper distributions in May, 2020.
“The superheroes are happy to participate as many volunteer opportunities have been cancelled due to COVID-19, and they provide fun and excitement to families picking up diapers,” Camarillo said.
Three of the Miracle Babies diaper distributions are sponsored by Frank Motors, who is providing a monetary donation for the 2021 South Bay distributions as well as hand sanitizer to be distributed to participants.
“There is a personal connection for Frank Motors Marketing Director Monica Salem to Miracle Babies as her daughter Izzy was born five years ago with an undiagnosed, life-threatening heart condition,” Camarillo said.
Miracle Babies hosted 19 community diaper distributions in 2020, distributing 486,800 diapers to 5802 families with more than half the families coming from the South Bay area.
“At our National City distributions, we distributed 248,600 diapers to 2,705 families,” Camarillo said.
Miracle Babies is expecting 400-450 families at the next two diaper events and “will continue to concentrate efforts on areas like National City where the need is the greatest,” Camarillo said, with monthly distributions planned for the area through 2021.
Visit www.miraclebabies.org to register for the events or for more information.
