By Eleanor Wilson
Australian not-for-profit The Nappy Collective is encouraging Casey parents and locals to drop off new or leftover disposable nappies, with the ambitious goal to provide one million fresh nappies to families experiencing hardship.
The organisation’s annual Nappy Collective campaign is running from Monday 18 July until Sunday 31 July, with 230 collection points across Australia accepting donations of fresh nappies, including multiple drop-off points in the City of Casey.
Several businesses in the South East, including Berwick Pharmacy, ANZ Bank Branch Fountain Gate, Salts of the Earth Narre Warren South, and Pharmasave Eden Rise, are participating in the annual campaign, before the nappies will be collected and redistributed to families experiencing nappy stress.
The Nappy Collective chief executive officer Sarah Witty said some 280,000 Australian children each year don’t have their nappy changed as often as they need to, which can lead to skin irritation, urinary infections and emotional distress.
“A lack of access to clean nappies may be due to issues of financial hardship, homelessness or escaping domestic violence, or those impacted by natural disasters, such as the recent flooding we have seen in New South Wales and Queensland,” she said.
Berwick Pharmacy is one collection point which has participated in the nappy collection drive every year it has run, according to pharmacy retail manager Jaki Crow.
“For us, I believe there’s quite a high percentage of families in crisis in the Casey area, so as a community pharmacy, we really like to support smaller causes where we can,” Mrs Crow said.
“From a personal point of view I’m quite passionate about it. I’m a grandmother to two little ones, so I know what it’s like when they’re stuck in a dirty nappy for long periods and end up with horrible nappy rash.”
She said the local community has been very supportive of the collection drive in previous years and hopes this year’s drive will be similar.
“There have been times where we’ve had to fill three or four cars with the nappies to take them back to The Collective…we’ve never had a time where we haven’t had heaps of donations, which is really great.”
“I’m hoping this year we can collect heaps to make up for the two years we missed out on [due to Covid].
“I hope the community gets behind it and supports the cause, every little bit helps.”
Locals can visit their nearest drop-off point to donate newly purchased disposable nappies, disposable swim nappies, nappy pants and leftover, opened packets of disposable nappies that are no longer needed (such as when a child outgrows their nappy size).
For the full list of collection points, visit thenappycollective.com/nappy-collection-points
