Milwaukee Diaper Mission

When Milwaukee Diaper Mission launched in 2020, one in three families nationwide reported struggling to afford diapers. At that time, in the city of nearly 600,000 people, the nonprofit established its first basic needs bank. “Our founder and executive director, Meagan Johnson, was a local volunteer who recognized a need and had a vision for the organization,” said Bridget Gaughan, development manager. “When we started, we had five distribution partners. Now we have 22 and are serving 2,800 children a month and 1,300 menstruators.” Two million diapers and countingPerson holding a branded golf ball. As a basic needs bank, Milwaukee Diaper Mission partners with food pantries, home visiting agencies, mutual aid groups and other organizations that support families through pregnancy, birth and postpartum to provide diapers, wipes and menstrual products to families. In one sense, it’s a small organization with just three paid employees. But in another sense, it’s huge. Hundreds of volunteers help carry out the mission and thousands of lives are improved every day. Four years into its work to get diapers and other essential items to Milwaukee families and the need has only grown. Now one in two families struggle to afford diapers. So, with as much progress as Milwaukee Diaper Mission has made—it has now provided more than 2 million diapers to residents since its founding—the work continues. Golf outing gifts show appreciation In June, the second annual Driving for Diapers Golf Outing teed off to raise money for the organization. Milwaukee Diaper Mission used a one by one grant to purchase TaylorMade® golf balls, given as golf outing gifts to the event’s 80 participants. The imprinted balls included the Milwaukee Diaper Mission logo and the logo of a key sponsor. The day on the links raised about $54,000. “The money raised for this goes to support all our programming, but the biggest need is purchasing diapers and period supplies,” Gaughan said. “With the funds we’ve raised, we’ll be able to purchase at wholesale pricing and it will help provide more diapers for families in need.”