HLSDB December Diaper Drive Recap
- naturalena
- Dec 24, 2025
- 3 min read
What a way to close out the year. Our December Diaper Drive run by our Houston Lone Star Diaper Brank program had a great impact on Houston families this holiday season.
Thanks to our community, 231 diaper kits were prepared for collection, and we were able to distribute essential items to families who came through our doors, including:
🧻 69,884 baby wipes
🥨 1,136 toddler snack packs
🩸 420 period products
🍼 42 tins of infant formula
😷 2,870 face masks
👶 1,775 baby diapers
To everyone who showed up to collect their kits — thank you. Your presence matters, and we’re honored to support you and your family during a time when so many are feeling the squeeze.
Every drive like this is only possible because of our donors, volunteers, and partners who continue to show up for Houston families month after month. Your generosity helps us stretch limited resources to meet a growing need.
As we head into the new year, demand for diapers and basic necessities remains high — and we’ll keep doing everything we can to meet it.
Why Diaper Distribution Is Harder Than It Looks — and What We’re Trying to Fix
At the Houston Lone Star Diaper Bank, our goal is simple: get diapers and essential hygiene products into the hands of families who need them most. How we do that, however, is something we’re constantly evaluating and adjusting.
As demand for diaper assistance continues to grow across Houston, distribution has become more complex — and sometimes, imperfect.
What We’ve Tried
Like many diaper banks, we’ve tested different distribution methods over time.
RSVP-only events were one of our earliest approaches. Unfortunately, when demand far exceeded supply, these events quickly became chaotic. Families showed up unsure whether supplies would last, lines grew long, and our small team struggled to ensure fairness and safety.
To solve that, we introduced a free ticketed system. Tickets allow us to:
Secure a kit specifically for each family
Prepare stock in advance
Reduce wait times
Ensure people aren’t turned away after arriving
On paper, this system works well.
The New Challenge: No-Shows
At our December distribution, 231 diaper kits were prepared, but more than 50% of ticket holders did not attend. Those unused tickets meant hundreds of diapers and hygiene products couldn’t be redistributed quickly enough to other families who had requested help.
This creates a difficult situation:
Families remain on our waitlist
Supplies sit unused during the event window
Our team can’t simply “give them away” without a structured system in place
Why This Matters
Every diaper kit represents donated goods, volunteer labor, warehouse time, and logistics planning. When a ticket goes unused, the impact isn’t just administrative — it affects real families who could have used that support.
We fully recognize that many families face unpredictable schedules, transportation barriers, and emergencies. We approach this with empathy, not judgment. But with limited resources, attendance matters.
What’s Next?
We’re actively reviewing potential solutions, including:
Adjustments to ticket quantities
Reminder and confirmation systems
Standby or waitlist options
Hybrid models that allow limited same-day redistribution
There is no perfect system — especially when need far outpaces supply — but we are committed to improving access while maintaining dignity, fairness, and transparency.
How You Can Help
If you’re requesting diaper assistance:
Only request a ticket if you’re confident you can attend
If plans change, notify us when possible
Share our resources with others who may need support
If you’re able to help in other ways:
Advocate for diaper access as a basic need
We’re grateful to be part of a community that cares, and we’ll continue working — imperfectly but earnestly — to meet this growing need.
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