Copper Country Great Start Collaborative Baby Closet fills a large need for families

During one of the most generous times of the year the Copper Country Great Start Collaborative asks the community to consider a cause that needs a change any time of the year. The Annual Diaper Donation Drive. Over the past 15 years, the Copper Country Great Start Collaborative has collected diaper donations to stock the well-used baby closet at the Indoor Treehouse.

So in 2019 we only had 50, 60 packages of diapers that we gave away every year. Since 2019 we have seen the numbers double almost every year. So this year we gave away over 850 packages of diapers to approximately 135 families – Iola Brubaker, Director, Copper Country Great Start Collaborative.

Any parent knows how essential diapers are to their child’s development. The item is also one of the most expensive parents will spend money on. On average a family can spend close to 1,000 dollars on diapers for one toddler.

Diapers are not cheap. They are probably one of the most expensive things outside of baby formula that families need access too. And the catch with it is, diapers are not eligible for any assistance program. And so we’re one of only two, three places in town that you can get diapers at. And we’re unique in that any family with a little that needs access to diapers could come and just ask us. We have a short piece of paper to fill out. And they just get the diapers. We don’t have income requirements. We don’t have other eligibility restrictions other than they need diapers. – Iola Brubaker, Director, Copper Country Great Start Collaborative

The Copper Country Great Start Collaborative says the closet regularly needs a restock of diapers in sizes 4 through 6. Kids tend to grow quickly out of sizes 1 and 2. Brubaker adds that monetary donations go a long way too, because the organization can purchase some items in bulk.

So some of the donations we will use for diapers, if you put diapers in the note field of a donation to us, we’ll buy diapers. However, if you send us an unrestricted donation, we can sometimes give a family a scholarship to the Treehouse Indoor Playground. We can make sure this place stays open and heated. We do lots of other programs here that those direct donations all support. For instance, last year we gave away six Porta Cribs. And that seems like a strange thing that’s not a very large number and a strange thing for us to prioritize. But what the Porter Cribs represent is a baby sleeping safely. – Iola Brubaker, Director, Copper Country Great Start Collaborative

The Copper Country Great Start Collaborative Annual Diaper Drive will run until January 6th. Throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula, residents can find donation drop boxes at various locations. Those interested in donating a sum to the Collaborative should contact Iola Brubaker for more information. Those interested in learning more about the CCGSC’s Baby Closet and its impact on local families can find more details here.

You can find donation boxes at these locations:

• Aspirus
• Auto Pro
• Copper Country ISD
• Econo
• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
• Keweenaw Chevrolet GMC
• KFRC
• MTU ROTC
• Portage Lake District Library
• Superior Family Chiropractic
• Trinity Episcopal Church
• P. Health

For more information or to make a financial donation, please call 906-482-9363. 

Media Contact: Iola R. Brubaker, KFRC Director, 906-482-9363, iola@kfrckids.org